Clarksburg man who ‘already voted’ told his vote will still count

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Harrison County resident Kevin Brand was ready to vote on Election Day only to run into one unusual problem—he had already voted.

At least, that's what the Harrison County voting records said. Confused, Brand said he hadn't cast his ballot. After he and a poll worker called the county clerk's office, he was eventually able to vote with a provisional ballot. But that still doesn't answer the question of how something like this can happen, and what can be done if something like this happens to you.

I'm unable to vote or have 'already voted,' what should I do?

Spires said Brand's problem was due to a clerical error during early voting by a poll clerk. Although an "un-common" problem, Brand's issue was resolved and ultimately serves as an example of why provisional ballots are so important.

"This example with Mr. Brand is exactly why we have the provisional ballot process. Although rare, mistakes can happen when folks are working the polls," Spires said in a response to 12 News.

Spires said he was able to use epollbook data to confirm Brand was being honest, which means his vote will be counted before election results are certified.

Update your voter registration

Spires said the number one problem voters run into on Election Day is not being registered to vote. Even if you have registered to vote in the past, your registration may have expired due to inactivity.

You can register to vote in West Virginia here , or you can check the status of your voter registration at this page of the West Virginia Secretary of State's Office .

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Double-check the location of your designated polling center

According to Spires, the second most common problem on Election Day is voters going to the wrong polling place or not knowing where to go in the first place.

In Morgantown, several voters arrived at the Mountaineer Mall thinking they would be able to vote on Election Day only to realize it was closed as the mall is only used as a location for early voting.

Every voter's designated polling place is listed on their voter's registration card, located under their given address. You can also find your polling place online at the West Virginia Secretary of State's Office website .