Super Tuesday 2024 blog: Live updates from Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro

On Super Tuesday, News Leader reporters are out and about talking to voters and election officials throughout the day. Check this page often today for updates. Thanks to voters and poll workers who have been taking the time to speak to us.

8:27 a.m. — White Hill Church of the Brethren — Riverheads District

STUARTS DRAFT - The White Hill Church of the Brethren is a precinct on a hill in Augusta County’s Riverheads Magisterial District.

Chief election volunteer Craig McCue told The News Leader 40 ballots have been cast at the church, as of 7:45 a.m.

“This is the first time I’ve had someone from the media come in while I’ve been chief,” said McCue. “And it happened when I’ve got my boss here!”

Marcy Reedy, a member of Augusta County’s Electoral Board, sat across from him. The News Leader spoke to Reedy as the electoral board tested the ballot counters in February. As noted in The Agenda, the electoral board will meet a few times this week to confirm election results and enter provisional ballots.

In Wednesday’s meeting, Reedy explained, “We’ll take the statement of results, pull them, and go precinct by precinct by precinct, one by one. We’ll confirm the totals and what was reported.” The confirmation method intentionally resembles the confirmation testing done last month, several reporting methods that should all give the same number of votes cast and to which candidate.

Historically, election results are unofficially announced in the evening after the election. The official totals aren’t determined until days later, after the mail system has been able to deliver mail in ballots. The deadline is noon on Friday in Augusta County, which is why another meeting is scheduled on Friday.

Until then, Reedy is visiting sites and coordinating election volunteers.

“Come out and vote, join us. It won’t be a length process,” Reedy relayed to The News Leader’s readers. “They can do it in a couple of minutes and we’ll take care of them.”

“If you’re interested in the voting process, get ahold of the electoral board and come volunteer,” McCue added.

“We can always use high quality officers of elections, Reedy agreed. “It’s a great way to give back and contribute.”

McCue looked on excitedly to the rest of the day.

“This is a great precinct here,” McCue said. “It’s a great group of people out in this area. I expect the same today.”

7:11 a.m. — Augusta County — Beverly Manor District

JOLIVUE - At the Victory Worship Center, a ward in Augusta’s Beverly Manor Magisterial District, no voters were present when The News Leader arrived around 6:50 a.m.So far, 12 voters had passed through the polling place.“That’s low, if you want to know,” added chief election volunteer Diana Desper.

—Lyra Bordelon

6:40 a.m. — Staunton Ward One — Third Presbyterian Church

It’s 5:45 a.m. and Stanton’s first voting ward is empty.

A black car pulled into the lot around 5:50 a.m. A white van followed.

Phyllis Garza got out of the black car. Though not the first to vote, she was the first to arrive.

“I just got off from work!” said Garza. “I thought I better do it now because I probably wouldn’t get up later to come and vote. That’s why I got out here. Cool, they’re open at six? Let me go.”

Garza said she was voting for Trump, citing the way he handled the economy and the United States’s southern border. Garza explained, “I’m hoping for a change.”

The second voter, who wished to remain anonymous, got out of the white van. He told The News Leader he came out to vote, go to the gym, then go to work.

“I haven’t decided yet, to be honest,” the second voter shared. “It’s kind of going to be a game time decision for me.” He couldn’t confirm if he was going to ask for either the Democratic or Republican ballot.

Inside, poll volunteers have already checked in the first three voters. The anonymous second voter sat in the booth. Elections officer John Hartman moves from table to table, talking to the volunteers and getting things in order. The ballot counter dings.

“Everytime you hear the ding means it’s counted and ballot and read it,” Hartman told The News Leader. “That’s how we’re able to know and tell the voter yes it’s registered your vote.”

The first ballot was cast before 6:10 a.m.

“Come out and vote!” Hartman said to all the potential voters in The News Leader’s readership. “Folks thinks that primaries are a little slow sometimes, and they are, but it’s still the right and, my option, of obligation for everyone to vote. We have our freedom that we take for granted. We need to utilize that freedom.”

The News Leader caught up to the second voter as he turned on the white van.

“I actually went for DeSantis,” he told The News Leader. “I know Nikki Haley has taken a couple of state and I don’t think Trump is worth the cloth he’s clothed in, so I went for somebody that wasn’t a real vote.”

—Lyra Bordelon

6:00 a.m.

Light seeps from behind clouds over the hills to the east of the city. The clocktower still glows in the pre-dawn light through a soft drizzle. The bell tolls.

And the polls are open on Super Tuesday.

Hundreds of Augusta County, Staunton, and Waynesboro voters have already made their voices heard ahead of Super Tuesday and the presidential primary. Between the three localities, over 1,600 voters took advantage of early voting rather than waiting for election day.

There were 521 early voters in Staunton. Staunton General Registrar Christi Linhoss told The News Leader this was an average turnout, and expected the drop off from the 1,940 early ballots cast last November. Of the over 800 mail ballots sent out, as of noon Monday, only 430 have come back.

Linhoss reminded voters they would have to choose which party primary to participate in on site. Like previous elections, this is not restricted by any previous party affiliation.

"Come November, they can still vote however they want, but they can only pick one for the dual primary," explained Linhoss. "You can claim to your friends you're a Democrat and still request a Republican ballot."

In Waynesboro, 251 voters cast their ballots before the election. Of the 700 ballots mailed out, approximately 400 have been received.

In Augusta County, Chief Deputy Registrar Constance Evans told The News Leader 845 residents participated in early voting. Of the 1358 mail ballots sent out, 831 were mailed back to the county, as of 2 p.m. on Monday.

Similar to Linhoss, Evans reminded voters they would select which primary they wanted to vote in when they arrive to their precinct. All Augusta County precincts will be open for the election.

For more information, helpful links, and resources for the election, see The News Leader's election guide.

The News Leader reported Augusta County’s ballot counters testing in February.

Reporters with The News Leader were on the ground with Nikki Haley and Donald Trump’s visit to Virginia this past weekend.

— Lyra Bordelon and Jeff Schwaner

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Super Tuesday Blog: What we're seeing at the polls in Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta County