Some student-voters unable to vote due to website confusion

Around a dozen students who registered to vote through TurboVote.org said they were unable to cast their votes because they were not fully registered.

Officials at the voting precinct said the confusion came from what they say is an unclear process on the website, which still requires voters to send their forms to the nearest registration office.

Now, they are urging voters to double-check their status before hitting the next elections.

"If you've registered any where or any way --whether it's paper, whether it's on the State Board of Election's website, whether it's on TurboVote-- before you vote and before the registration deadline, go and check to see that you're there," said Deb Fitzgerald, who was chief election officer for the Convo Precinct on Super Tuesday.

Fitzgerald said they were able to help the dozen or so students by registering them in person so that they will be able to cast their vote in future elections.

"It's really sad to tell any voter --a student or anybody really-- that they thought they were registered, they thought they were in the system," said Fitzgerald. "They come, they're ready to vote; they've made time in their day to cast their ballot and express their voice --exercise their rights-- and then they can't."

Election officials said the best way to register to vote remains filling out forms in person at the registration office.

Super Tuesday's voter turnout at the new Convo Precinct on JMU's campus was the third highest in the city, with 1,076 voters.