Scenes like the one above at the junction of U.S. 127 and Ky. 1590 in west Albany, are dominant across Clinton County, reminding voters to get out and cast their ballots in the Tuesday, May 22 primary election. A heavy turnout for Tuesday’s balloting is expected.

Next Tuesday, May 22 will see a flurry of activity across Albany and Clinton County as thousands of voters will make their way to the polls to help determine most party nominees for office races this fall, as well as decide nominees for federal offices and judicial seats.

Because of the high volume of candidates and local offices at stake, voter turnout–especially among Republican registered voters–is expected to be very high on Tuesday.

Some 60 local candidates alone will be on the ballot, not counting some federal and judicial offices, and state offices where some of the candidates will be unopposed but still listed.

What may make next week’s local primary even more important locally is the fact that in many cases–barring write-in candidates in the fall, it will be “winner-take-all” races for several seats since only two Democrat candidates are running for county races this year, both being unopposed next week.

The vast majority of candidates, local and otherwise, are Republicans and the winners will almost automatically be elected to the respective office they are seeking next week, including Clinton County Sheriff, Jailer and all six members of the Clinton County Fiscal Court.

Some offices have already been basically decided with incumbent opponents having no opposition from either their own party or Democrat party this fall.

Those candidates unopposed include County Attorney Michael Rains; PVA (Property Evaluation Administrator) Pat Campbell; Circuit Court Clerk Jake Staton and Coroner Steve Talbott.

The majority of candidates are seeking magisterial seats, and there is also a high number of candidates in both the judge/executive’s and jailer’s races, and a few contested constable positions up for grabs as well.

Two county-wide officials, County Court Clerk and Clinton Judge/Executive, will see a contested Republican vs. Democrat races in the November General Election, as incumbent County Clerk Shelia Booher will be opposed by Dan Thomas in the primary.

In the race for county judge/executive, the GOP winner will face Keith Dalton, the unopposed Democrat, this fall.

A brief breakdown of the number of candidates for each office, other than those already mentioned as being unopposed, are:

* County Judge/Executive: seven total candidates, six Republicans and one Democrat.

* Clinton County Sheriff: two Republicans, no Democrats.

* Jailer: five candidates, all Republican.

* Magistrate, District One (North and East Albany): four Republicans, no Democrats.

* Magistrate, District Two (Hayes-Maupin and Nora): two Republicans, no Democrats.

* Magistrate, District Three (Piney Woods, Seventy-Six and Snow): six Republicans, no Democrats.

* Magistrate, District Four (Cave Springs and Highway): nine candidates (the most in any race), all Republican, no Democrats.

* Magistrate, District Five (Illwill and Speck): five Republicans, no Democrats.

* Magistrate, District Six (South and West Albany): two Republicans, no Democrats.

Five of six magisterial candidates are GOP incumbents, with the exception of District Four, where Ricky Craig, a candidate for judge/executive, now serves in that capacity

Most of the constable district candidates have no opposition and in state races, State Representative Jeff Hoover and State Senator Max Wise are both unopposed, as is Commonwealth Attorney of the 40th Judicial District, Jesse Stockton and both 40th Judicial District Judge seats, held by Mike Lawson and Scarlett Latham.

Hoover is from Jamestown, Wise from Campbellsville and Stockton, Lawson and Latham are all from Albany.

There will also be a Supreme Court Justice seat position on the ballot in the 3rd Appellate with three candidates listed. Those positions are elected on a non-partisan political basis.

Early absentee voting in the county is still underway, and the deadline for anyone to apply to vote absentee by paper ballot is now past, but those voting by paper absentee have to have their ballots returned to the county clerk’s office by election day to be counted.

Also, the absentee voting machine in the clerk’s office will be open until 4 p.m. Monday, May 21, only for those voters who will be out of the county on election day. Voters can cast ballots in the clerk’s office during normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 8 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

During the November general election, other than county, state and federal offices, city and school board non-partisan races will also be on that ballot and candidates can begin filing for those seats later this spring.

Anyone needing any type of election information prior to next week’s primary may call the county clerk’s office at 387-5943.

(A copy of the Sample Ballot for next week’s primary, as well as other election information, such as election officials, can be found elsewhere in this week’s Clinton County News.)