Multiple local, state, federal races on Tuesday ballot

Published 10:20 am Monday, May 21, 2018

Voters who head to the polls Tuesday will have a variety of candidates for state, local and federal offices to choose from.

The primary election polls will be open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday. Absentee voting concludes today in Clark County clerk’s office.

Clark county’s ballot will include two non-partisan races for Winchester mayor and city commissioner.

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The slate of three mayoral candidates, incumbent Ed Burtner and local businessmen Billy Flinchum and Ralph Harrison, will be narrowed to two who will run in the November general election.

There are nine vying for eight slots on the November ballot for city commission: Kenny Book, Shannon Cox, Ramsey Flynn, JoEllen Reed, Tom Korb Jr., Seneca Anderson, Kitty W. Strode, Paula Branham Thomas and David Walker. Voters in city precincts can vote for up to four commission candidates with the top eight moving on.

Republicans will select from incumbent Andy Barr or his opponent Chuck Eddy for the sixth district U.S. representative, while Democrats will choose from Daniel Kemph, Theodore David Green, Jim Gray, Geoff Young, Amy McGrath and Reggie Thomas.

While two Republicans are on the ballot for the 73rd district state representative, incumbent Donna Mayfield withdrew her candidacy earlier this month, moving Les Yates, a local businessman, on to the general election, where he will oppose either Rory Houlihan or Pat Banks.

For county judge-executive, Republicans will choose between Sam Williams and Chris Pace, while the Democratic ballot includes incumbent Henry Branham and Liz Elswick.

For county clerk, Democrats will select either incumbent Michelle Turner or Wyler Dykeman to compete against Republican Will Collins in the general election.

Republicans will decide if Clark County Sheriff Berl Perdue Jr. will be re-elected or if Winchester Police Capt. Shannon Stone be the next sheriff.

Democrats will decide the next Clark County coroner between incumbent Robert Gayheart and Jeff Willison as well as whether current Clark County Jailer Frank “Squatty” Doyle or Bryan Richardson, a local farmer and bus driver, will vie against Republican Randy Steagall in November.

Also the Republican ballot will be fourth district magistrate candidates Greg Elkins, the incumbent, and Kenneth Anderson, fourth district constable candidates David Puckett and Gerald Tackett, and sixth district magistrate candidates Michael Hack and James Nisbett.

Also on the Democratic ballot will be second district magistrate candidates Pam Blackburn, the incumbent, and Kevin Warner and third district magistrate candidates Mike Sosby and Don Pasley.

Secretary of State Allison Lundergan Grimes announced Thursday she projects about 30 percent of the 3.3 million people registered to vote in Kentucky will turn out for Tuesday’s primary election.

A turnout of 30 percent would represent the highest participation in a Kentucky primary in nearly a decade, according to a press release issued Friday. Approximately 32 percent of Kentuckians voted in the 2010 midterm primary election.

“Tuesday, I think you will see a Kentucky electorate that is beginning to get up, get out, and get loud with voters making their voices heard at the polls,” said Grimes. “We have witnessed dismal levels of participation in the last few years – 20 percent in 2016, a presidential election, and only 12 percent in the last governor’s race in 2015. This year, I think we could see the number of Kentuckians going to the polls improving.”

Grimes tracks absentee ballot totals as an indicator of final turnout on Election Day. According to current statistics, Grimes projects turnout for the May 22 primary election will be about par with the midterm elections of 2014 and 2010 when 26.8 percent and 32.2 percent of Kentuckians voted, respectively.

 As of Monday, nearly 25,000 voters had voted in person on machines in county clerks’ offices and approximately 12,000 mail-in absentee ballots were sent to voters who had requested them.

“This is a major midterm election year with races up and down the ballot from the federal to the local level,” said Grimes.

Grimes also offered tips for voters heading to the polls Tuesday:

– Verify your voter registration status before you head to the polls. Registration status is available GoVoteKY.com, Kentucky’s one-stop voter portal.

— Know where you vote. You can find the address of and driving directions to your polling location through GoVoteKY.com.

— Know the most convenient times to vote. Polls tend to be busiest during the morning and evening rush hours and at lunchtime.

— Bring appropriate identification to your polling location. You must either be known by a precinct officer or produce a driver’s license, social security card, credit card or other form of identification that contains both a picture and signature in order to cast a ballot.

— Don’t wait until the last minute to head to the polls or be discouraged by long lines. Remember, as long as you are in line by 6 p.m. local time on May 22, you will be allowed to cast your ballot.

— Ask a poll worker for instructions on how to use the voting machine or other procedural questions if you are confused about the voting process.

— Let officials know immediately if you encounter any problems at the polls. You can address issues with your precinct election officers, the county clerk, the State Board of Elections at 502-573-7100, or the Attorney General’s Election Fraud Hotline at 1-800-328-VOTE.

For additional election information, visit GoVoteKY.com

About Whitney Leggett

Whitney Leggett is managing editor of The Winchester Sun and Winchester Living magazine. To contact her, email whitney.leggett@winchestersun.com or call 859-759-0049.

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