{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"The News Journal","provider_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net","title":"OP-ED: Bipartisan election agreement puts Kentuckians' health first &ndash; The News Journal","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"nYNE2XaFV4\"><a href=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/op-ed-bipartisan-election-agreement-puts-kentuckians-health-first\/\">OP-ED: Bipartisan election agreement puts Kentuckians&#8217; health first<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/op-ed-bipartisan-election-agreement-puts-kentuckians-health-first\/embed\/#?secret=nYNE2XaFV4\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;OP-ED: Bipartisan election agreement puts Kentuckians&#8217; health first&#8221; &#8212; The News Journal\" data-secret=\"nYNE2XaFV4\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/guest-opinion-1.jpg","thumbnail_width":319,"thumbnail_height":208,"description":"(OpEd By Democratic Governor Andy Beshear and Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams) In the midst of a global health pandemic caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19), as a Democratic\u00a0Governor and a Republican Secretary of State we have proven that we can put partisanship aside to make our elections safer for our people. We know that\u00a0working\u00a0across the aisle to reach\u00a0a\u00a0bipartisan agreement, regardless of where you live from Washington, D.C. to Frankfort, Kentucky, during any year, certainly an election year, is\u00a0all too\u00a0rare. We\u00a0don\u2019t always agree, but we have\u00a0no disagreement when it comes to\u00a0protecting\u00a0the health of Kentuckians during this pandemic, while\u00a0making\u00a0sure they are able to exercise their patriotic duty to vote. On Aug. 14,\u00a0we announced an agreement\u00a0to give Kentuckians more options to vote\u00a0safely\u00a0leading up to and\u00a0on\u00a0Election Day,\u00a0Nov.\u00a03, 2020. We put politics\u00a0aside \u2013 there was no political \u201chorse-trading.\u201d\u00a0We knew we had to get this right for the people of Kentucky. This was not the first time we\u2019ve worked together for Kentucky\u2019s benefit. Earlier this year when the coronavirus was intensifying in the commonwealth, we jointly delayed party primaries and then quickly reached an agreement to allow those concerned about their health to vote absentee. The result of our agreement, we had near record turnout. We had the commonwealth\u2019s highest primary turnout in 12 years\u00a0\u2013\u00a0with both Democrats and Republicans taking\u00a0advantage of\u00a0voting\u00a0options\u00a0that helped to\u00a0keep them safe. We believe the primary\u00a0was largely successful\u00a0because we worked together in a bipartisan fashion.\u00a0That bipartisanship not only led to a better product,\u00a0with\u00a0concerns on both sides accommodated, but\u00a0it also showed all voters that our new\u00a0election\u00a0rules were fair, legitimate and credible. The plan was not perfect, but we learned\u00a0from\u00a0that experience. Our plan for the\u00a0general\u00a0election\u00a0keeps the best of what worked in the June primary, especially giving voters options to safely cast their votes, and\u00a0it\u00a0makes improvements\u00a0where necessary,\u00a0including pushing for more\u00a0in-person voting locations and faster election results. During this pandemic,\u00a0Kentuckians\u00a0will have more than just 12\u00a0hours\u00a0to vote at one polling place on Election Day. Our plan\u00a0includes: Expanded absentee voting\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Kentuckians who are concerned about in-person voting due to the coronavirus can request an\u00a0absentee\u00a0ballot\u00a0online at www.GoVoteKy.com or through other methods, all of which require voter identity verification. Voters can\u00a0return their ballots by\u00a0mail, or\u00a0put them in\u00a0drop boxes\u00a0we\u2019re distributing, a first for our state. Early in-person voting\u00a0\u2013\u00a0In order\u00a0to reduce lines and further social distancing, we\u2019re offering three weeks of early in-person voting, including\u00a0Saturdays, also a first for our\u00a0state. Election Day voting\u00a0\u2013\u00a0While not every precinct will be open on Election Day, because, for example, some of our regular voting locations are nursing homes, Kentuckians are stepping up to\u00a0serve as poll workers so\u00a0that\u00a0we can open as many locations as possible.\u00a0Our\u00a0plan\u00a0requires\u00a0every county\u00a0to have\u00a0at least one vote\u00a0center, where anyone from that county can go\u00a0vote, regardless of\u00a0his or her\u00a0precinct\u00a0\u2013\u00a0another reform for our state. Finally,\u00a0Kentuckians\u00a0who\u00a0are\u00a0unable to get a\u00a0photo ID\u00a0to vote due\u00a0to\u00a0the pandemic \u2013 whether because of\u00a0risk\u00a0of exposure\u00a0to COVID-19, or\u00a0because\u00a0their clerk\u2019s office was closed\u00a0\u2013\u00a0can sign a document explaining this concern, present non-photo ID\u00a0and cast their ballots. We know that there is still a lot of work ahead, including\u00a0educating Kentuckians on their options and working with local election officials on the implementation. With all the options\u00a0available for Kentuckians to vote safely, we are confident that we will see\u00a0high voter\u00a0turnout in November, just as we saw\u00a0in\u00a0our\u00a0primary. In June, we created a national model\u00a0both\u00a0for\u00a0how to\u00a0enable people\u00a0to vote safely and for\u00a0how\u00a0leaders\u00a0should\u00a0work together. To forge the framework for a safe, successful and historic general election, we\u00a0have already overcome the largest impediment \u2013 partisanship."}