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ELECTIONS
W.Va. GOP ready to vote
CHARLESTON -- West Virginia may have one of the smallest blocks of delegates at stake on Super Tuesday, but its results may be among the first known.
Organizers of the West Virginia GOP Presidential Convention say they expect to be the first state to report results on Tuesday, when 21 states conduct primary elections or caucuses in the presidential race.
Results from the first round of voting will be announced by midday, said Bob Fish, chief executive officer of the convention. If no candidate receives a majority vote after the first round of voting, it will be followed by a second ballot that only includes the top three vote-getters. If necessary, the top two will advance to a third round. It's a winner-take-all format.
Between 1,200 and 1,250 delegates from all the counties in the state will participate in the convention at the Charleston Civic Center.
The four Republican presidential candidates leading into Super Tuesday include Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Altogether, 1,081 GOP delegates will be at stake across the country.
The new convention format was authorized in 2006 by the West Virginia Republican Executive Committee, with at least part of the goal to give the state an earlier say in selection of a nominee for president. But some registered Republicans say they feel disenfranchised.
Tuesday's convention will award 18 of the state's 30 national convention delegates. Nine other delegates will be awarded following the state's Republican primary election on May 13, the same day that Democratic voters in the state vote for a presidential nominee.
Hurricane resident Carol Young said it's unfair that an "elite tier" of Republicans can determine more than half of the state's national convention delegates. With only nine national convention votes coming from the primary, Young said she is outraged that other Republicans in the state don't have a chance to be equally represented.
"Why, if they were making a drastic change in the way we can nominate our presidential candidate, did they not publicize it?" Young said. "We were robbed of the right to vote."
John Morris, chairman of the Cabell County Republican Executive Committee, said he was not satisfied with the amount of publicity for the new format. A more widespread, diverse group of Republicans would be a better representation of the party, he said.
"There's been a lot of confusion. If I have anything to do about it, I'd make sure we never have a convention again," Morris said. "I'd like to go back to the primary."
The new convention process required registered Republicans to vote online or during a county convention for at-large county delegates to represent them at Tuesday's convention. At-large county delegates total 42 percent of the delegates at the statewide convention. Other delegates are all the members of the county Republican executive committees, all the members of the West Virginia Executive Committee, state Republican Lawmakers and Secretary of State Betty Ireland, Fish said.
Mike Ankrom, political director for the West Virginia Republican Club and Cabell County GOP convention delegate, said the new process will allow the state to affect national politics.
"West Virginia can actually have it's voice heard. Before, there was no reason for a presidential candidate to come to West Virginia, but now that the convention will be first to announce its results, candidates want to come to West Virginia," Ankrom said. "It's unfortunate that not many people are participating in the process, but they still have their vote to cast during the primary."
Republican Rebecca Lepanto of Huntington said she is happy to be represented in Charleston by elected delegates but hopes the convention format will change to allow loyal GOP voters to cast their votes in a primary election together. A nationwide GOP primary would give all states, not a select few, the opportunity to determine who will receive the GOP nomination, she said.
Fish contended that this year's convention is very effective and allows the state to play a larger role in the political process.
"Presidential candidates don't pay any attention to us. We'd like to hear them talk to West Virginians about West Virginia values," Fish said. "We were the tipping point in the last two elections and we want to have a voice and affect the election."
Fish noted that the process may change once again for the 2012 election. The Secretary of State's Office and the Republican National Committee would have to approve any changes.
