If you’re a sports fan in Kentucky, many people look past the ongoing football season ahead to November when basketball starts. In off-year elections, it is sometimes much of the same, as most people are looking ahead to the ever-heated presidential and federal elections of 2016 but may be forgetting an important election coming up in a month in their own state.

On November 6, voters across the Commonwealth will have an important election coming up as they will go to the polls to select a new Kentucky governor for the next four years, as well as all state constitutional offices. The governor’s race will feature relative newcomer Matt Bevin, who won a close and hotly contested Republican primary opposing current Attorney General, Democrat Jack Conway.

Other statewide offices on the ballot will include Secretary of State; Attorney General; Auditor of Public Accounts; State Treasurer; and Commissioner of Agriculture. All state offices will be contested in next month’s general election.

County Clerk Shelia Booher reminds voters that they have until next Monday, October 5 to register to be eligible to vote in the November election. Registration books will be closed from October 6 through November 9.

Voters who cannot make it to the polls on election day can also now make a request for a paper absentee ballot. The deadline to request a paper ballot is Tuesday, October 27 and all ballots must be received by mail at the County Clerk’s office on or before election day to be counted.

For voters who will be out-of-town on election day, they may vote on the machine that will be set up at the clerk’s office. Those “walk-in” votes will be Wednesday, October 14 and run through Monday, November 5, with voters being able to vote between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 12 noon on Saturdays.

Booher noted the low turnouts in recent state elections–both in primary and general elections–not only in Clinton County but statewide.

According to voter records in past elections, only 30.2 percent of registered voters cast ballots in the 2011 November general election and in the past May primary, only 23.1 percent of registered voters cast ballots in Clinton County.

The County Clerk said state elections, especially with the governor’s race involved, are also an important election and urges all voters to get to the polls to vote.

A sample ballot, listing all candidates by party, as well as information regarding polling places and precinct officers, will be published later this month.

If anyone has questions about their voter status, absentee voting qualifications or the election in general, they may contact the clerk’s office at 387-5943.