by Paul Darst

STAFF WRITER

Polls in Harrison County could be a little more crowded than they were in the primary election two years ago.

Voter registration numbers are up during this presidential election year, but only slightly, according to the county clerk's office.

This year, 42,588 people are registered to vote in Harrison County, County Clerk Sylvia Basile said. That is 686 more than were registered for the 1998 primary, she said.

Last Monday was the deadline to register or change political parties for this year's primary.

Presidential election years typically spur more interest and cause more to register to vote, Basile said.

But just because they are registered does not mean they will show up at the polls, she said. The voting rate among registered voters was 36.8 percent in the 1998 primary in Harrison County.

Polls in West Virginia will be open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on May 9.