STAR CITY, W.Va. The polls in Star City and Granville are open until 7:30 p.m. Tuesday for the municipal elections.
On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” Star City Recorder Steve Blinco said all terms in this election will be one year to prepare for the alignment with county and state elections.
“We’re going to be voting for the mayor (unopposed), the recorder (unopposed), and the council members,” Blinco said. “There are eight individuals running, and we have five seats to fill.”
Eighty-eight percent of Star City voters approved election realignment in November 2022. The candidates elected today will serve terms until June 30, 2024.
“The primary election next year will be held in May and will be for a two-year term,” Blinco said. “So, we’ll resume our two-year schedule, but we had to go for one year to get back to two years to align and move this forward.”
In the last June municipal election, Blinco said about 120 voters participated, compared with about 450 in the November mid-term election. According to Blinco, the numbers show more people participate in the typical election cycle, and that will lead to more involvement in the future.
“So, you’re seeing almost a quarter of our population turn out when we align with the county,” Blinco said. “I think it’s a much better system when we have more people out there voting.”
After this election, Monongalia County Clerk Carye Blaney will provide all materials and election support, saving Star City at least $5,000 for each election.
“It will be several thousand dollars in savings, and that money can be put to other uses in Star City,” Blinco said. “So financially, yes, it will really help us out.”
Here is the sample ballot.