Positions were drawn Tuesday at the Monongalia County Courthouse for 19 of the 29 races that will be listed on the ballot. The remaining races required no drawing, as the seats are vacant or uncontested.
Republican Ballot Commissioner James Shaffer selected the positions using a bingo set that drops numbered balls in a chute at random. Though seven candidates attended the drawing, none elected t draw their own position from the bin.
Eldon Callen, a candidate for 17th District Circuit Court judge, Division 1, was present for the drawing.
"I was checking some records at the clerk's office and I thought, Til just go upstairs and see what's going on,' " Callen said. "I was there already."
Callen said he wasn't sure if a candidate's position really affects the outcome of the election. He was selected as the first Democrat to be listed on the ballot for his race.
"I was told one time that if you're not first, you're last, but I have no earthly idea if it really matters," he said.
Bartolo will be followed on the Democratic ballot by Bill Rice, Denny Poluga and Steve Cook. Hawkins is running unopposed for the Republican nomination.
RESIDENTS HAVE until April 22 to register to vote in the May 13 primary election. Only voters who have never voted in Monongalia County and those who need to update their information — because they have moved or married — should register. Voters can continue to register after April 22 to participate in November's general election.
For the House of Delegates' 44th District, Republican Cindy Frich will be listed first, followed by Harry V. Bertram. On the Democratic side, Charlene Marshall will be listed first, followed by Steven Fumich, Barbara Evans Fleischauer, Bob Beach and Alex Shook. A full list of candidates foi all area races will be published in a future edition of The Dominion Post. Before Tuesday's drawing began, County Clerk Carye Blaney said the county is working on a Web site that could allow voters to view realtime voting results on election night. "It's ready to be loaded," Blaney said. "Hopefully everything will be online." Blaney was not certain whether vote totals will be listed by individual precinct or as a collective total. "I haven't figured out the most efficient way to do that yet," she said. The Web address for election results will be released when the site is fully operational.