Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, November 8, 1994 TAG: 9411080099
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Montgomery County, the region's most populous locality, has 29,584 registered voters this year, an all-time record and a 3 percent increase over last year, according to registrar Sandra Chapin.
Also unusual this year, and also probably spurred by interest in the Charles Robb-Oliver North Senate contest, is the boom in absentee voting: almost 900 voters turned in absentee ballots by last week's deadline, Chapin said.
Tabulating those ballots could push back the release of voting figures until 10 p.m. or later in Montgomery. Local Republicans will gather to watch returns at the county GOP headquarters at Gables Shopping Center on South Main Street in Blacksburg. Democrats will meet at Commissioner of Revenue Robertine Jordan's office on the first floor of the Montgomery County Courthouse in Christiansburg.
One of Montgomery County's 20 precincts has moved to a new location this year. Precinct C-4 voters should go to Falling Branch Elementary School, located at 735 Falling Branch Road just outside Christiansburg. The precinct includes southeastern Christiansburg and follows U.S. 11/460 toward Shawsville to Friendship Road. Until this year, the precinct polling place was located at Good Shepherd Baptist Church in Christiansburg.
The local political parties made final arrangements Monday to get their volunteers out at voting places. On Saturday, Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon rallied more than 150 Democrats in Christiansburg to help get out the vote. It was the first of 10 weekend stops in a final sweep across the 200-mile-long 9th District. On Monday, Steve Fast, Boucher's challenger, thanked and rallied 40 supporters gathered in Blacksburg. He also made final stops in Bristol and Scott County.
Fast had a chance to shake hands with all of his backers and volunteers in the small crowd in Blacksburg. One of them was Pat Kellogg, a Republican precinct leader in District A. Her precinct votes at Slusser's Chapel on Mount Tabor Road. She plans to have two volunteers out per hour.
"It's just overwhelming to me the support we've had in District A for Oliver North and Steve Fast," Kellogg said. "It is about issues."
"Our volunteers are all ready," said Dean Allen, District F Democratic chairman. He plans to have two people at both of the polling places in his Blacksburg-area district all day. They'll have a table and the usual political fliers for Robb and Boucher. "We're optimistic about it and think things are looking up," Allen said.
The polls close at 7 p.m.
by CNB