Absentee voting is now underway for Kentucky’s November 6 general election, according to Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes.

“Kentuckians who cannot get to the polls on election day have the option of voting absentee before the election,” Grimes said. “I am thankful for our county clerks who facilitate absentee voting for voters through the mail and in their offices.”

Grimes continued, “I will continue to petition our legislators in the 2019 General Assembly to remove the requirement to provide an excuse to vote early in-person, and I hope all Kentuckians will join me in this effort. As low turnout persists, we should be doing everything we can to make it easier for voters to make their voices heard.”

Currently, 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 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 email.

Qualified military and overseas voters may also use the Commonwealth’s online portal at Go VoteKY.com to request and receive their blank absentee ballots.

Applications for mail-in absentee ballots must be received by the clerk’s office no later than Tuesday, October 30. The completed ballot must be returned by mail and received by the county clerk by 6 p.m. local time on election day.

Individuals who do not qualify to vote by mail-in absentee ballot may still be eligible to vote early in person prior to November 6.

In-person absentee voting will begin in all Kentucky counties no later than 12 working days prior to election day.

Machine voting in the Clinton County Clerk’s Office is now open and available to any voter who will not be in the county on November 6.

You may vote absentee in the clerk’s office during normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays from now until the election.

County Clerk Nathan Collins would also like to remind any potential late filing candidate that they have until the end of business day (4 p.m.) Friday, October 26, to declare as a “write-in” candidate for the upcoming election.

Persons with questions about absentee voting may contact their county clerk or call the State Board of Elections at 502-573-7100, or online at elect.ky.gov.

Also, anyone having questions about local absentee voting, deadlines, or their voter status and/or location on where they are registered may contact the county clerk’s office by calling 387-5943.