With 2014 having been a local election with a lot of talk and a full ballot and 2016 still a year away, but a year in which a new President will be elected, many citizens, even voters, tend to overlook the “odd year” election that comes up each four years in Kentucky.

The 2015 ballot will be somewhat short, with only statewide constitutional offices, including the state’s highest office of Governor being on the ballot, but it is an important one for all of Kentucky, including Clinton County.

The May 19 primary is now just weeks away and campaigning is getting in full gear, especially in the race for Kentucky governor and especially in the Republican primary where a total of four candidates are seeking the nomination.

Other than Governor and Lt. Governor, other statewide offices on the ballot that voters will choose from this year include Secretary of State, Attorney General, State Treasurer and Commissioner of Agriculture.

In fact, the Democrat primary will see only three of those races on their ballot, as nominees for Attorney General and Commissioner of Agriculture are unopposed in the primary, awaiting the GOP winner in the general election this fall.

County Clerk Shelia Booher reminds voters that the last day to register to vote in this year’s May election is Monday, April 20 as registration books will be closed until after the primary. Also, persons cannot change their political party affiliation until after the primary, as December 30 was the final day to change parties prior to the May election.

Registration books will be closed from April 21 through May 25.

The clerk’s office is also now taking applications for paper absentee ballots for those persons with medical conditions, military service people deployed out of the country, etc. who will not be able to get to the polling place on election day. The last day to apply for a mail-in absentee ballot is April 12.

Booher said she hoped to have the absentee voting machine set up for those individuals who will be out of the county on election day ready for use by April 27. This, she noted, would give college students, who will not be out of school, three Saturdays in which to come into the office and vote absentee on the voting machine.

During the last governor’s primary election in 2011, only 16.12 percent of all registered voters took time to cast a ballot, Booher said. She noted that was an extremely low turnout and urges voters to take advantage of their privilege to vote and go to the polls on election day next month.

The following candidates will appear on the May primary ballot:

Republican:

Governor/Lt. Governor–James R. Comer/Chris McDaniel; Matt Bevin/Jenean Hampton; Hal Heiner/K.C. Crosbie; Will T. Scott/Rodney Coffey.

Attorney General–Michael T. Hogan and Whitney H. Westerfield.

State Treasurer–Allison Ball, Kenneth Churchill Imes and Jon Larson.

Commissioner of Agriculture–Richard Heath and Ryan F. Quarles.

The gubernatorial candidates’ home locations include James Comer, Tompkinsville; Will Scott, Pikeville; and Matt Bevin and Hal Heiner are both from Louisville. Comer is also the current state Commissioner of Agriculture.

Democrat:

Governor–Jack Conway/Sannie Overly (Conway is the current state Attorney General) and Geoffrey M. “Geoff” Young/Johnathan D. Masters.

Secretary of State–Alison Lundergan Grimes (the incumbent) and Charles Lovett.

State Treasurer–Neville Blakemore, Jim Glenn, Daniel B. Grossberg, Richard Henderson and Rick Nelson.

The Democrats for governor hometowns are Jack Conway, Louisville and Geoff Young, Lexington.

Anyone with any questions about absentee voting or other information about the upcoming primary election may call the County Clerk’s office at 387-5943.