Low voter turnout expected for May 16 Primary Election; early voting Thursday (May 11) – Saturday (May 13)

Based on the small number of absentee voters and only a handful of telephone calls to her office regarding the election so far, Whitley County Clerk Carolyn Willis isn’t expecting a large voter turnout for the May 16 Primary Election next Tuesday.

Willis said Friday afternoon that 174 mail-in absentee ballots had been sent out, which is lower than usual, and only three or four people had taken advantage of excused, in-person absentee voting at her office in Williamsburg.

“I have thought about it and I don’t think this is going to be a high volume turnout, maybe 23 percent. I hope I am wrong,” Willis said adding that the lack of local races on the ballot is contributing to the seeming lack of voter interest. “I just don’t expect the turnout to be very high.”

Willis noted that her office has also only fielded a few calls regarding the election.

“You always have a high volume of calls when it’s a countywide election because there are so many races involved. This election I have had one or two requests for a sample ballot … Other than that I have not even had questions,” she added.

During the gubernatorial primary four years ago, only 18 percent of Whitley County voters went to the polls to cast their ballots, but there was no early in-person voting allowed during that election like there is today.

There will be in-person early voting for everyone on Thursday, Friday and Saturday that will take place from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. all three days and can be done either at the clerk’s office in the old courthouse in Williamsburg, or inside the old district courtroom at the old Corbin City Hall.

Election Day voting will take place from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16, at eight voting centers located throughout Whitley County, including locations at 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 and Sanders Creek Church, which is in the Canadatown area.

Previously, you could only cast your Election Day ballot at your voting precinct out of which there were 36 located in Whitley County, but now you can cast your Election Day ballot at any of the eight new voting centers.

“People love being able to vote at any of those centers. People love early voting,” Willis noted.

Willis added that she would love to expand unexcused early voting from three days to nine days in the future, but she noted that would take a change made by the state legislature.

“I encourage voters to go vote. I think they need to vote for governor and secretary of state. The races to me are important,” Willis said.

There are several statewide races on the ballot, including both Republican and Democratic primary elections for governor and commissioner of agriculture.

There will also be Republican primary elections for secretary of state, auditor of public accounts and state treasurer.

There are 12 candidates in the Republican Primary for governor, including: Attorney General Daniel Cameron, former U.N. Ambassador Kelly Craft, Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles, Auditor of Public Accounts Mike Harmon, Somerset Mayor Alan Keck, Eric Deters, Bob DeVore, Dennis Ray Ormerod, Johnny Ray Rice, Robbie C. Smith, Jacob Clark and David O. Cooper.

There are three candidates in the Democratic Primary for governor, including incumbent Gov. Andy Beshear, Peppy Martin and Geoffrey M. “Geoff” Young.

In the race to become the next Commissioner of Agriculture, Richard Heath and Jonathan Shell are battling it out in the Republican Primary while Sierra J. Enlow and Mikael Malone are facing off in the Democratic Primary.

Incumbent Secretary of State Michael Adams is seeking a second term in office and is facing challenges from Stephen L. Knipper and Allen Maricle in the Republican Primary.

Allison Ball, who is completing her second term in office as Kentucky State Treasurer, could not seek re-election to a third consecutive term in that office. Instead, she is running for Auditor of Public Accounts in the Republican Primary where she is facing opposition from Derek Petteys.

There are three candidates in the Republican Primary election seeking to replace Ball as state treasurer, including; Mark H. Metcalf, O.C. “OJ” Oleka and Andrew Cooperrider.