Wet-dry machine absentee voting starts this Friday

Posted January 4, 2017 at 10:06 am

The local special election for residents to decide on whether or not to allow the sale of alcohol in Clinton County is heating up between the “wet” forces, or proponents of the measure and a full-scale campaign of “dry” forces who are running a total campaign in hopes the measure will fail.

Over the past few weeks, since the formation of the group Concerned Citizens for Families, there has been a lot more attention drawn to the election and thus creating the idea that the turnout at the polls for the one issue referendum may be heavy.

The special election, which was set by Clinton County Judge/Executive Richard Armstrong via Executive Order in December, is now less than three weeks away, Tuesday, January 24. The election was prompted after a petition was submitted to the county clerk’s office with more than enough signatures to put the issue before the voters to decide.

After the special election date was set, Clinton County Clerk Shelia Booher announced some dates and deadlines for absentee voting that may play a key role in the outcome, depending on the number of votes cast.

Voters who cannot get to a polling place on election day due to such things as medical issues, military out-of-county deployment or college students attending college elsewhere, are already making applications and returning paper absentee ballots to the clerk’s office.

All applications for paper absentee ballots must be made in the clerk’s office no later than Tuesday, January 17.

The county clerk also wants to remind residents who know they will be out-of-town on election day and wish to vote in the election, they may begin doing so on the walk-in voting machine in the clerk’s office beginning this Friday, January 6.

Statute requires walk-in machines to be in operation at least 12 working days prior to the election.

Voters who will not be in the county on the special election date can vote in the clerk’s office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.

Since this is an off-year election in Kentucky, the “special” election coming up later this month will be the only election held in the county in 2017.

Several residents are expected to vote by absentee, either by paper ballot or on the walk-in machine prior to election day.

Anyone needing information or assistance in the absentee voting process or any general information about their voting precinct, etc. may contact the county clerk’s office at 387-5943.