MADISON - Records indicate that about one in ten registered voters in Boone County turned out today to vote in the special primary election, but that was enough to choose the two major candidates to fill the seat of the late Senator Robert C. Byrd. Pundits speculated that the fact that the election was held on a Saturday may have been a factor in the shockingly small turnout of voters, but it appears that less than 2,000 of nearly 20,000 registered voters in Boone turned out to make their choices.,

With all 37 precincts spanning from Whitesville to Wharton and Turtle Creek, the following numbers were reported.

Voter Turnout was 10.46% - 1988 votes were cast out of 19,004 voters registered in Boone County.

Vote tallies for the Democratic Primary -1705 votes cast

Joe Manchin 1176 (70.08%)

Ken Hechler 315 (18.47%)

Sheirl Fletcher 187 (10.96%)

Vote tallies for the Republican Party - 279 votes cast

John Raese 225 (81.82%)

Mac Warner 19 (06.81%)

Harry Bruner, Jr. 11 (03.94%)

Lynette McQuain 6 (02.15%)

Kenneth Culp 5 (01.79%)

Thomas Ressler 5 (01.79%)

Frank Kubic 2 (00.71%)

Albert Howard 1 (00.35%)

Daniel Rebich 0 (00%)

Scott Willaims 0 (00%)

Mountain Party candidate Jesse Johnson received three votes.

Johnson was running unopposed and will be on the Nov. ballot.

Manchin, Raese and Johnson will be added to the general election ballot this fall. The winner will serve out the remainder of Byrd's final term.