First of three days of early voting starts Thursday (May 12)

Whitley County voters will have 12 hours each day on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (May 12-14) to cast early ballots in the race for sheriff, jailer, PVA and other contested races on the May 17 ballot.

Whitley County Clerk Carolyn Willis said that her offices in the old courthouse in Williamsburg and in the old city hall in Corbin will both be open for early voting on those three days between the hours of 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

On Election Day Tuesday, voters will be able to cast their ballots between 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. at one of eight voting centers located across Whitley County.

Previously, you could only cast your Election Day ballot at your voting precinct out of which there were 36 located in Whitley County.

Now you can cast your Election Day ballot at any of the eight new voting centers, which are spaced out across the county and listed below.

• Williamsburg Independent School
• Whitley County High School
• Pleasant View Elementary School
• Whitley East Elementary School
• Whitley North Elementary School
• Oak Grove Elementary School
• Corbin City Hall
• Sanders Creek Church (Canadatown area)

“I feel like this will be an advantage for our voters being able to vote in either one of those eight voting centers and not be restricted to one particular precinct,” Willis said.

Voter turnout

In 2020 during the November presidential election, 55 percent of all registered Whitley County voters went to the polls to cast their ballots.

Willis is hoping for a 38-40 percent total voter turnout for the May Primary Election this year between early voting, absentee voting and Election Day voting.

So far there seems to be a significant amount of voter interest.

Willis said that her office has fielded a lot of telephone calls concerning the election, and had 499 mail-in absentee ballots requested.

As of Friday, her office had already gotten back about half of those mail-in ballots.

Willis warned that her office in Williamsburg will just be open for election-related operations on Thursday, Friday and Saturday this week. Her Williamsburg office will be closed for other business, such as filing title work, doing deed research, issuing marriage licenses and paying car taxes on Thursday and Friday, but anyone needing those services can still go to her Corbin office those two days.

“My staff members will be consumed with early voting. I do expect a big turnout on those three days. Since we are restricted three days early voting, I do feel like that we will be so busy those three days,” Willis added.

During the 2020 election there was 30 days of early voting prior to Election Day.

Between turnout at Willis’ Corbin and Williamsburg offices about 10,000 voters cast early ballots either in person or by mail out of nearly 14,000 votes cast.

On Election Day 2020, there were only two voting centers open, which included Whitley County High School and one of the Corbin elementary schools as opposed to eight voting centers that will be open on Election Day this year.

Contested races

During the May Primary Election, there are locally contested races county-wide for sheriff, jailer and PVA. In addition, there will be contested races in three out of the four magistrate and constable districts.

There are six candidates in the sheriff’s race, including current Third-District Constable Jim Thornton, former jailer Ken Mobley, retired KSP Lt. Bill Elliotte, retired KSP Trooper Scott Bunch, current chief deputy Tim Baker, and Williamsburg resident Benny Joe (BJ) Leach.

Sheriff Todd Shelley retired on Nov. 30. Interim Sheriff Danny Moses didn’t seek the position on a more permanent basis.

The jailer’s race includes current 911 Director Jason Wilson, Williamsburg Police Lt. Brandon White, and four current jail employees, Matthew Leach, Jeff Hurst, Sandra Hoke and Andrew Fuson.

The winner will face independent Troy Thomas in the November General Election.

Incumbent Jailer Brian Lawson initially filed to seek re-election and then withdrew his candidacy.

For the first time in nearly 30 years, there will be a contested race for Whitley County Property Valuation Administrator (PVA). Incumbent PVA Ronnie Moses and is facing opposition from challenger Herb Petrey.

All four incumbent magistrates are seeking re-election, but Second-District Magistrate Mondo Cima is the only one, who is unopposed.

First-District Magistrate Scotty Harrison is facing opposition from Gary Brock.

Third-District Magistrate Michael Jarboe is facing opposition from Bob Lawson and Ted Manton Barrineau.

Fourth-District Magistrate Raleigh Meadors is facing opposition from Paul Buchanan, Eugene Smith and Arthur L. Canada.

There will be contested races in three of the four constable districts with Second-District Constable Ron “Bubba” Bowling being the only candidate who is unopposed.

First-District Constable Lonnie Foley is facing opposition from Anthony Akers.

With Thornton seeking the sheriff’s position, there is no incumbent running in the third-district constable race, which has six people seeking the job, including: Justin Daniel Oaks, Jordan Davis, Zandell Jones, David Rowe, Vancil Moses and Tyler Burdine.

Fourth-District Constable Andy Moses is facing opposition from Carl Allen Wade.