The first round of the 2015 primary races is quickly coming to a close and Clinton County voters will join the rest of Kentucky next week in choosing their parties’ nominees for a handful of state constitutional offices to be elected in the fall.

The governor/lieutenant governor’s race will be the primary focus of this year’s state election, with the remainder of the constitutional offices also up for grabs. And, with the term of current Governor Steve Beshear ending, the state will have a new Governor for the first time in eight years come 2016.

The ballot for both political parties will be light next Tuesday, May 19 when voters choose their respective party nominee and if past odd-year state election numbers hold up, the turnout among registered voters in the state and here in Clinton County is expected to be light.

In the most recent state elections in 2011, just over 16 percent of registered Clinton County voters took the time to vote in the primary.

Democrats will have only three contested races on the ballot, that of Governor/Lt. Governor, Secretary of State and State Treasurer.

The gubernatorial candidates include current Attorney General Jack Conway/Sannie Overly who is being opposed by the ticket of Geoffrey M. “Geoff” Young/Johnathan D. Masters.

In the race for Secretary of State, incumbent Alison Lundergan Grimes is being opposed by Charles Lovett.

The other race on the Democrat side will be State Treasurer, where five candidates are running for the nomination, including Neveille Blakemore, Jim Glenn, Daniel B. Grossbery, Richard Henderson and Rick Nelson.

Republican voters will have only four offices to vote for, Governor/Lt. Governor, Attorney General, State Treasurer, and Commissioner of Agriculture.

In the Governor’s race there are four candidates, the ticket of James R. Comer/Chris McDaniel; Matt Bevin/Jenean Hampton; Hal Heiner/K.C. Crosbie and Will T. Scott/Rodney Coffey.

Three GOP candidates are in the field for the race for State Treasurer, including Allison Ball, Kenneth Churchill and Jon Larson.

In the Attorney General’s race, Michael T. Hogan is taking on Whitney H. Westerfield.

In the race for Commissioner of Agriculture, Richard Heath is taking on Ryan F. Quarles.

Absentee voting is currently underway and paper absentee ballots that have been requested have to be returned to the County Clerk’s office postmarked no later than election day, May 19 and the early voting machine set up in the clerk’s office for those voters who will be out-of-town on election day is available for use through Monday, May 18 at 4 p.m.

Also, voter registration books are now closed and will re-open for perspective voters on May 26.

County Clerk Shelia Booher noted earlier this year that the 16.12 percent voter numbers during the May 2011 state-wide primary was extremely low and encourages all local registered voters to cast a ballot and get to the polls on election day, saying this year’s election is important for the state of Kentucky.

Anyone with questions pertaining to the upcoming primary election, or questions about voter registration in general may call the County Clerk’s office at 387-5943.