WVVA TV Bluefield Beckley WV News, Weather and SportsBeckley starting path to end primary elections
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The city of Beckley is hoping to experiment with voter participation. The city's common council passed a first hearing of a proposal to eliminate primary elections. Supporters say the measure could increase voter turn-out for general elections in may and save the city 40 to 50-thousand-dollars in the process.
However, even before a public hearing, the proposal is making more questions than answers.
"I think by changing to a national platform where the primary is in May and the general is in November, that's a lot more time the community has to get to know the candidates," says Mayoral Candidate Tony Martin.
But supporters say they're doing what they feel is in the good of the city.
"This is looking at the city of Beckley and doing what I think is the right thing for the city of Beckley to try to get more people involved in this," says current Mayor Emmett Pugh. "There's not a whole lot of public involvement right now."
The common council passed the hearing on a vote of 5 to 2... But this vote is just to hold another hearing of the proposal. To eliminate primary elections, the city would have to successfully vote to amend the ordinance.
