Registered voters in Albany and Clinton County will have a short ballot of candidates to chose from when they go to the polls next Tuesday, May 17 for the 2011 Kentucky primary election.

With a short ballot, it will probably mean a lower than usual turnout of voters, not only locally but across the state as well, as only a handful of statewide party primary offices will be decided.

Indications are that Republican voters, per ratio, may cast more ballots next week than their Democrat counterparts, since only three contested seats are up on the Democrat side of the ledger and incumbent Governor Steve Beshear and his running mate Jerry Abramson are running unopposed.

On the Republican side, there are four offices in which candidates are seeking the nomination, including that of a gubernatorial nominee to oppose Beshear this fall.

One race that may generate slightly more interest in Clinton and surrounding southcentral Kentucky counties will be that of governor, with a localized candidate seeking the Republican party nomination.

In the Republican primary, State Senator David L. Williams of neighboring Burkesville–with his running mate, former University of Kentucky basketball standout and current Commissioner of Agriculture, Richie Farmer is among three candidates on the ballot next Tuesday.

Williams is being challenged by Phil Moffett and his running mate, Mike Harmon, as well as Barbara “Bobbie” Holsclaw and her running mate for Lieutenant Governor, Bill Vermillion, Jr.

Also of interest on the ballot on the Republican side will be that of Secretary of State, where one of the candidates is Hilda Legg, who is also well known in the Lake Cumberland area, having worked for U.S. Representative Hal Rogers of Somerset and holding several government related positions working in this general area.

Legg is opposed statewide by Bill Johnson.

They are seeking the seat held formerly by a Republican, Trey Grayson, who was elected twice before running unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate a year ago and recently resigned from the job to go into the teaching profession at a university level.

Two other GOP offices are up for nomination, including that of Auditor of Public Accounts, where John T. Kemper III is running against Addia Kathryn Wuchner.

The other race is for Farmer’s Commission of Agriculture seat, where again, a nearby State Representative, James R. Comer is seeking the nomination against Rob Rothenburger.

Democrat voters will have only three races to vote in next week, including that of Secretary of State, State Treasurer and Commissioner of Agriculture.

In the race for Secretary of State, current office-holder Elaine Walker, former Mayor of Bowling Green who was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Grayson, is opposed in the primary by Alison Lundergan Grimes.

The Secretary Treasurer race has Steve Hamrick running against L.J. “Todd” Hollenbach.

A total of five Democrat candidates are seeking Farmer’s Commissioner of Agriculture job, including Robert “Bob” Farmer, Stewart Gritton, John Faris Lacey, David Williams and B.D. Wilson.

Ironically, there are only nine Republicans and nine Democrats–or 18 names total–that will appear on the entire ballot May 17.

Local voters who take part in next week’s primary will have the chance to use and get familiar with the new voting machines the county recently began using.

Also, absentee voting is currently underway by paper ballot for those persons who have a medical condition or some type of situation in which they cannot vote at the polls. Also, walk-in voting in the county clerk’s office will continue through the close of day on Monday, May 16 for persons who will not be in the county on election day.

Election commissioners will be in session all day on Tuesday. Polls in all 13 county precincts will open at 6 a.m. and close at 6 p.m., or until the last person in line to vote at 6 p.m. is able to cast their ballot.

For information on next week’s election, or general information on registering to vote, citizens can go online to the Secretary of State’s website or contact their local county clerk’s office.