County Clerk: Absentee Voting May Lower Turnout

The Kentucky primary election has been moved from May 19 to June 23, but that's not the only change that voters should know about. 

Secretary of State Michael Adams and Governor Andy Beshear announced Friday that strict requirements are being waived so people can vote by absentee ballot if they are worried about catching or transmitting COVID-19. They are also allowing in-person voting by appointment at courthouses beginning June 8. On June 23, any remaining in-person voting will take place, but most precincts will not be open as they usually are. These practices are to make sure social distancing guidelines are followed. 

McCracken County Clerk Julie Griggs told West Kentucky Star voters should arrange to get an absentee ballot, based on what she's heard so far. The state board of elections is getting an online portal ready for people to apply to receive the ballot, but it's not quite ready yet, and she doesn't yet have the ballots, either. 

"We're supposed to be receiving our ballots sometime this week from our election vendor, and the requests that we've received up to this date, we'll go ahead and mail the ballots out," Griggs said.  

State law requires absentee ballot requests be received in her office by June 16, and completed ballots must be received by 6:00 pm on June 23. 

As for election day, she's not sure what in-person voting is going to look like, because the Kentucky Board of Elections and the Secretary of State's office have been meeting, but haven't yet told the Commonwealth's 120 county clerks how everything will be done. 

Griggs said, "They are suggesting that we just have one centralized voter location set up for people that either don't want to vote by absentee ballot or that couldn't for some reason - for a disability or something. We have not yet determined where that location will be."

She is hoping that information will be provided soon, so her staff can get busy with preparations.  

Griggs said her office is already getting calls from voters who want an absentee ballot, and anyone is welcome to do that. Once she gets guidance from Frankfort, her office will announce when people can call to make appointments to vote June 8-23.

The number for the voter registration and elections department at the County Clerk's office is 270-444-4702.

Griggs suspects that voter turnout may be lower than normal, even though it's a presidential election year, because people won't be as familiar with how it will be done. 

"In the primary, the turnout is always lower than what it is in the general election. I do think the voter turnout will be heavier in the city precincts because of the mayor and city commission race," she said.

When asked if she has heard of any concerns from voters about how secure their absentee vote would be, Griggs said not yet, but if she does, she'll give reassurance that her office has handled absentee ballots in every election. 
  
Griggs said, "We'll still do that part of the process the same as far as keeping them in a secured vault, locked,  that sort of thing. So, the voters can definitedly be assured. I don't want people to think there's more room for voter fraud or anything like that. Our process will still be the same, just on a much larger scale."

Griggs said when she gets the needed information from state officials, she will pass it on to voters so everyone is informed and prepared to participate in the election.