Its a caucus, not an all day voting thing like other states.
Everyone gets together and take a vote of who is in the room. These are the results of the first vote:
* Romney - 41%
* Huckabee - 33%
* McCain - 16%
* Paul - 10%
Now they will revote without Paul as an option.
Even if all of Pauls voters go to McCain, it will not be enough and after this vote McCain will be dropped.
They will vote again between Huch and Romney, winner take all.
This is huge because Romney can go on TV and make his victory speech that will be replayed all day as others are going to the polls. He can also claim to have won the last two contests, Maine and now West Virginia. He may even be able to spin it (even though the maine delegates get awarded later) that he is now the leader in total delagates over mCain.
This from NRO’s Campaign Spot:
MITT ROMNEY
Two Rounds of Voting in West Virginia Done
Word from West Virginia:
CHARLESTON — The first round of voting has ended at West Virginia’s Republican Convention.
With 55 counties voting:
Mitt Romney has 464 votes (41%)
Mike Huckabee has 375 votes (33%)
John McCain has 176 votes (16%)
Ron Paul has 118 votes (10%)
Because no candidate won a majority of the delegate votes, a second round of voting will occur between the top three vote-getters: Mike Huckabee, John McCain and Mitt Romney. As soon as those results are known, they will be released to the public.
The Convention is currently taking a one-hour recess, and is scheduled to reconvene at 1:30 PM.
UPDATE: Freddoso hears the Ron Paul backers will determine the winner between Huckabee and Romney.
Think Ron Paul voters will vote as a block for Huckabee, propelling him into first place?
What is happening is the McCain people are trying to delay the announcement of a Romney win by going for Huckabee.
It would be HUGH if the MSM had to announce a Romney win in West Virginia before the polls close elsewhere.
Yeah, but TV would have to show the victory speech. We can't get FOX news to talk about Romney, so we know the MSM won't say anything good!