The weather for tomorrow is expected to the party cloudy, with some rain around noon, providing only a minor inconvenience for voters. Since the largest turnout is usually seen in the morning and evening, turnout may not be affected.

PRESIDENTIAL CONTEST
West Virginia is considered by most to be a swing state. Both presidential candidates have visited the state a record number of times, although only the vice-presidential candidates have visited recently. State polls have been quite unstable lately, but as WV Kerry campaign spokeswoman Amy Shuler Goodwin said, "It's hard to trust the polls that show Bush ahead because some likely voters, particularly young voters, are hard to reach by telephone." In the same article, The Charleston Daily Mail recorded Bush spokeswoman Mary Diamond as saying the election will come down to grass-roots efforts and making sure supporters get out to the polls. In Putnam County, Republican HQ workers I talked to were also concerned with reaching voters by telephone, as cellular phones cannot be called by get-out-the-vote campaigns.

GOVERNOR
Present West Virginia Governor Bob Wise is not running for re-election, but instead is campaigning for his Secretary of State, Joe Manchin III, who is the Democrat candidate for governor and favored by the polls to win. The campaign of the Republican candidate, former Army Col. Monty Warner, has been criticized by the Bush camp for printing "Bush / Warner" joint campaign signs. While the signs were legal, the Bush campaign said the Warner campaign did not get authorization to use the President's name on their yard signs.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Incumbent Republican representative Shelley Moore Capito is expected to win easily over her Democrat challenger, political newcomer Erik Wells. Wells has gained some name recognition from the negative nature of his attacks, some of which were later proven to have little basis in fact.

In the southern congressional district, incumbent Democrat Nick Rahall is facing a tough challenge from Republican pastor, businessman, and RNC delegate Rick Snuffer. Rahall is criticized by Republicans for his connections to Yasser Arafat and his ardent opposition to pro-Israeli legislation. In a recent radio interview with WVHU-AM's Tom Roten, Snuffer said that such a stance as Rahall's is not representative of the views of Southern West Virginians. Rahall was elected to Congress in 1976, and currently serves on the Committee on Resources and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

STATEWIDE QUESTION
Only one statewide question is on the ballot, a proposed admendment to West Viriginia's constitution to provide a tax for bonuses and death benefits to veterans of recent wars. Supported by Governor Wise and veterans' groups, the bond issue is expected to pass, creating a new tax in West Virginia.

COMING UP TODAY AND TOMORROW
Coming up from DOUBLE TOOTHPICKS' West Virginia Election Coverage here at the Command Post 2004 Election blog:

• An exclusive interview with Kanawha County poll workers about the connection between provisional ballots and voter fraud;
• Photoblogging from Putnam, Cabell, Kanawha, Logan, Lincoln, and Raleigh counties;
• The vitriolic state Supreme Court race;
• Impact of early voting in West Virginia.

(This entry has been cross-posted at the DOUBLE TOOTHPICKS weblog.)

Posted by Steve Bragg at November 1, 2004 12:50 PM | TrackBack