With the May 17 primary election less than a full month away in Kentucky, the deadline to register in order to cast a ballot next month has already passed, with that date having been this past Monday, April 18. However, for those people who are registered and will not be able to vote on election day, absentee balloting in now underway.

“We are now taking applications for absentee ballots for the May 17, 2016 primary,” said Clinton County Clerk Sheila Booher. “These are for anyone who will not be able to get out and vote. All applications must be returned to our office by Tuesday, May 10.”

Booher said the absentee walk-in voting machine for residents who will not be in the county on election day will be open beginning Monday, April 25 in the clerk’s office. People may cast a ballot in the clerk’s office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 to 11:30 a.m.

The county clerk noted that Democrats will vote for U.S. President, U.S. Senator and U.S. House of Representatives (Congress). Republicans, however, will only vote for U.S. Senator and Congress, after Kentucky opted to hold a Presidential Caucus in lieu of a primary to cast delegate votes for president back in March.

(No Republican presidential candidate list will be on the May 17 ballot.)

Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan-Grimes has been urging “excuse voting” over the past few weeks, or voting by absentee by anyone who cannot get to the polls on election day.

In a recent press release, Grimes, the chief election officer in the state, said, “I encourage all registered voters who are eligible and need to vote by mail to request an application now so their ballot can be submitted in plenty of time before the May primary.”

Individuals who may be eligible to vote by mail-in absentee ballot include:

* Military personnel, their dependents, and overseas citizens.

* Students who temporarily reside outside the county.

* Voters who temporarily reside outside Kentucky (e.g., vacationers).

* Voters who are incarcerated but have not yet been convicted.

* Voters whose employment takes them outside the county for all days and hours the polling place is open.

* Voters of advanced age who suffer from disability or illness.

* Voters who are participants in the Secretary of State’s Address Confidentiality Program.

Voters may request an absentee ballot application from their county clerk in person, or via telephone, fax or e-mail.

“Voting is a right, but is also a responsibility,” said Grimes. “The foundation of our democracy depends on every eligible voter’s participation.”

The identifies of absentee voters will not be disclosed until after the election as part of a law Grimes championed. In the past, absentee ballot applications were subject to open records requests, making absentee voters particularly susceptible to attempts to buy their votes.

Individuals who do not qualify to vote by mail-in absentee ballot may still be eligible to vote in person prior to election day beginning no later than May 3, or 12 working days (which may include Saturdays) prior to the election.

In the most recent November 2015 general election in which state offices were at stake, 2,058 of the registered voters in Clinton County cast ballots, or 27.75 percent…higher than the expected turnout.

“National and state elections affect the county on a local level,” Booher said. “I encourage everyone to get out and exercise their very important right to vote. Every vote counts.”

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact County Clerk Booher or any deputy clerk or call 606-387-5943 or the State Board of Election online at elect.ky.gov.