After several months of anticipation throughout Clinton County by citizens on both sides of the issue, it is now officially known that residents will go to the polls in 2017 to vote on whether the sale of alcohol will become legal here.

Clinton County Judge/Executive Richard Armstrong, by executive order that was signed this past Monday, set a date for a special local option election as Tuesday, January, 24, 2017.

Monday’s action followed several measures that preceded the selection of a date for the special election.

On Thursday, November 3, local businessman Jim Soma filled a petition with County Court Clerk Shelia Booher.

The petition had been circulating in the public for several months before Soma filed it at the courthouse.

In a letter issued by Booher, she stated that there were 2058 people who voted in the previous general election, and 25 percent of those 2058 people equaled 515.

Once the petition was filed, Booher said she has validated 565 names on the petition which was enough to hold a special election pertaining to the sale of alcohol inside the borders of Clinton County.

After the required names had been validated, the petition was then turned over to Clinton County Judge/Executive Richard Armstrong where it was reviewed for certification purposes.

The petition was presented and certified as:

“We the undersigned registered voters hereby petition for an election on the following question: “Are you in favor of the sale of alcohol beverages in Clinton County, Kentucky?”

Upon receiving the petition, Armstrong declared an election be held on January 24, 2017, pursuant to KRS 242.020(5) and KRS 242.030(1) (2).

KRS 242.020(5) states after the petition has been filed, the county judge/executive shall make an order on the order book of the court directing an election to be held in that territory.

KRS 242.030 (1) (2) states the date of the election may be stated in the petition for election. If the date is not stated, it will be designated by the county judge executive. Since the date wasn’t specified in the petition, Armstrong assigned Tuesday, January 24, 2017, as the date in which the special election will be held.

The law also says the election can’t be held any earlier than 60 days and no later than 90 days after the petition is filed with the county clerk.

The original date Soma wanted the election held was January 10, 2017. With the Christmas holiday and New Year holiday, Booher said it would have been a rush to have it by January 10, however, Armstrong is the official who assigns the date the election is held.

“He picks the date,” Booher said. “It has nothing to do with me. The machines have to be stripped and redone for this election. They have to be open 12 working days before the election and with the number of days we have off in December and January, it was going to be rushed to have it by the tenth.”

According to Booher, the machines have to be closed for 30 days following an election then information has to be sent to Nebraska and verified.

“There was no way it could have been done with all the days we are closed in December,” Booher said.

Soma said all he wants is for the public to decide whether or not to have the sale of alcohol.

“Somerset tried several times and now they have it, I haven’t heard anything about it except for promoting growth,” Soma said. “There isn’t a problem up there with drinking or anything. It needs to be left to the public to decide.”