By james art 
OHIO COUNTY, West Virginia — Saturday marked the last opportunity for West Virginia voters to participate in early voting, which often sees some of the highest voter turnout during the early voting period.
Ohio County resident John Schultz opted to vote early, saying it could ease the stress on the day of.
“First, it was just a matter of convenience. There is so much of a rush on Election Day itself, but take advantage of getting involved early and getting it done,” said Ohio County voter John Schultz.
As the presidential election approaches, election integrity is becoming a topic of conversation for some voters. But Schultz says he’s not concerned about the security of his voice.
“I’m not worried about it at all. I don’t believe there’s a problem,” Schultz said.
One organization working to help more voters is Citizens 4 WV Election Integrity, a bipartisan group based in Mannington. Over the past several months, the group has met with West Virginia Secretary of State Mack Warner and the state legislature to ensure a free and fair election process.
“What we’ve done is try to raise the visibility among these groups and the public to the extent of the issues that are happening across the country, making sure we’re in the safest position possible,” said Ed Fisher, founder of Citizens 4 WV Election Integrity.
On average, Fisher has seen fewer problems in the voting process than other states. However, he says that doesn’t discredit the value of your voice.
“No matter what your confidence level is in elections, you should vote. It is very important. The future of our country is at stake,” Fisher said.
Election officials in Ohio and Marshall counties say they’ve seen above-average crowds since early voting began on Oct. 23.