In a unanimous vote Thursday night, the Kanawha County Commission approved a new early voting polling place on Charleston's West Side, the most racially diverse neighborhood in West Virginia. The decision came after two hours of public testimony, including testimony from ACLU-WV staff members. The following is testimony from Dijon Stokes, voting rights project manager:
Good Afternoon,
My name is Dijon Stokes & I work for the ACLU of WV as an advocacy specialist with a focus on criminal justice and voting rights.
Thank you all for opening up this opportunity for concerned voters to express their concerns, suggestions and vision for a just, secure and democratic election process. As you think on how to vote on this early voting polling place, I want you to think about what a no vote would do and say to voters on the West Side of Charleston.
I lived on the West Side for 18 years. I can remember the first time I walked into St. Paul AME church and cast my first ballot. I was proud that it was members of my community running the polling stations and that it was a convenient walk across the street for me to vote. I left my polling place happy and proud that day. Not only was I casting my ballot in my community for a better future, I felt that I was already starting to see a better future through the people who were involved and taking this process seriously.
For context, early voting has been around for more than 20 years here in Charleston. No matter what, the polling location it is overseen by the county clerk and on a larger level, the Secretary of State’s Office. Early voting has been proven in studies by the Brennan Center for Justice to provide communities that need it most like working parents, those without means of transportation, and those that have difficulty traveling to the polls like the elderly and disabled, a fair chance at voting. That same study also shows additional benefits of more time for poll workers to gain experience before Election Day. And early voting is popular amongst voters, according to voter satisfaction surveys.
Those making that decision to vote early, especially in the midst of a global pandemic, are making the decision to get ahead of the crowds and see their ballot cast. As a democracy we should be rewarding those that are reducing lines and allowing for more eyes to be focused on fewer people during these busy election periods, ultimately adding to the security and efficiency of our well-run elections.
Establishing early voting at the Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council would benefit West Side voters and others in Charleston. The past two elections have shown that voters value and want early voting.
For these reasons I ask that you approve what the voters want, a new early voting site for the West Side located in the Girl Scouts of the Black Diamond Council building.