County commissioners will certify the election results next week after the canvass Monday revealed no changes in the unofficial numbers released last week.

Commissioners handcounted the Durbin precinct, which was selected at random. They also counted challenged and absentee ballots for the final totals.

More than 2600 voters participated in last weekﾒs election, nearly 49 percent of all registered voters in the county.

U. S. Senator Robert C. Byrd, Democrat, received 1,662 votes to challengers John Raese, Republican, 762, and Jesse Johnson, Mountain Party, 77 votes.

Democrat Congressman Nick Rahall won Pocahontas County handily with 1,683 votes over challenger Kim Wolfe, Republican, with 724.

State Senator Walt Helmick, who was unopposed on the ballot, defeated a write-in candidate, Jeremy Bauserman, 1905 votes to 64.

Democrats also retained their seats in the House of Delegates against Republican contenders Joan Hinzman-Sharp and Bruce Haddix. Bill Hartman officially had 1,193 votes and Bill Proudfoot, 1,384, to Hinzman-Sharpﾒs 1,047, and Haddixﾒs 807. Hartman and Proudfoot also won in Randolph County.

In the county commission race, Democrat Martin Saffer, with 1,256 votes, will take a seat in the court house, after defeating Republican Norman Alderman, who garnered 682 votes, and write-in candidate Linda Simmons, who landed 526 votes.

The levies to support senior citizens programs in Pocahontas County failed by a margin of 315 votes, or by nearly 57 percent. The levies needed 60 percent of the vote in favor to pass.

This election was the first in which Pocahontas County voters used electronic voting machines from start to finish.

In May, because of slow delivery of the machines, early voters used paper ballots. The machines were delivered and tested in time to use in the Primary Election.