Monday is deadline to request ballot for June 23rd election be mailed

Close of business Monday is the deadline to request a ballot for the June 23 primary ballot be mailed to a voter’s residence.

The request may either be made through the state website, www.govoteky.com, or by contacting the clerk’s office at 549-6002.

Willis said as of Friday, 679 ballot have been received either by mail, or by voters who had requested a ballot to be mailed, returning it to the clerk’s office in Corbin or Williamsburg.

Mail-in ballots must be postmarked no later than June 23.

Officials at the clerk’s office said the deadline for ballots to arrive in the mail is 6 p.m. on June 27.

One issue Willis has repeatedly encountered with the mail-in ballots is the failure of the voter to sign the interior envelope containing the ballot and the exterior envelope.

“We have had a few where one or the other is not signed,” Willis explained. We can’t count the ballot if both envelopes are not signed.”

Voters also have the option of going to locations at Corbin City Hall or the Whitley County Courthouse and voting prior to election day.

The Corbin location is in the hallway outside the old district courtroom.

On election day, voting has been reduced to two locations in Whitley County, Whitley County High School and Corbin Primary School.

Willis said the option to vote early without the need to provide a valid reason as to why a voter is unable to vote on election day has proven very popular and may lead to a significantly higher turnout.

As of Thursday, 2,096 ballots had been cast between Williamsburg and Corbin.

Willis had initially predicted a turnout of less than 20 percent, but based on the current turnout, she said it could reach the 30 to 35 percent range.

“I’m hoping it may reach 40,” Willis said.

With 27,694 registered voters in Whitley County, that would mean more than 11,000 ballots cast.

Willis said while it has been an unusual election because of the COVID–19 pandemic and the changes required, she would like to see several of them made permanent, particularly opening the polls to permit early voting.

“It has went so well,” Willis said. “It works out so much better for the individual. It makes it so easy for them.”