In a primary election that has been anything but normal, local voters put out no real surprises in making their choices last week in the June 23 primary elections.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused havoc with this year’s Kentucky primary election, which was scheduled to be held in May 26, but was rescheduled for June 23.

In addition, state officials entered into an agreement to allow all voters to vote by means of a mailed paper ballot. Voters were also allowed to vote early or on election day by traditional means on an election machine that was set up inside the Clinton County Courthouse.

No traditional election day voting at the county’s precinct voting houses was held last Tuesday, due to the COVID-19 pandemic related changes.

With the bulk of Clinton County’s voters participating in last week’s primary doing so by returning paper absentee ballots via the U.S. Postal Service, about 34 percent of the registered voters cast votes for their choice of candidates to represent their respective party in this fall’s general election.

As was expected, Clinton County Republicans heavily favored incumbent U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell to move on to the November ballot for re-election.

McConnell received 1,879 votes from Republican voters, with C. Wesley Morgan being the only challenger to even reach triple digit votes with 182 votes.

President Donald J. Trump, who appeared on the Republican primary ballot unopposed, was the largest single vote getter in Clinton County, receiving a favorable nod from 2,201 voters. The only other choice on the Republican President’s ballot was that of “Uncommitted” which saw 127 voters choosing that option.

In the only local race that appeared on Tuesday’s ballot, the race for the Republican candidate for State Representative in the 83rd District that includes Clinton County, Russell County and a portion of Pulaski County, that two-man race will decide who replaces current Representative Jeff Hoover, who has decided not to seek another term in that office. No Democrats filed for that office, meaning the winner between those two candidates will win the seat.

Locally, it was Josh Branscum, a Russell County resident, who earned the most votes with 1,563, while Polston, a Pulaski County resident, picked up 737 votes .

As was the case with all primary vote counting going on across Kentucky Tuesday, the election results were not being released statewide officially until late Tuesday evening, after this week’s press time, it wasn’t known at the time of this writing, the primary election result totals from Russell County and Pulaski County, making the call for the winning candidate in this race unavailable for this week’s issue.

In the Democratic primary election results from Clinton County, it was Joe Biden who was the local favorite of voters.

Biden, who has already secured enough national primary wins for the Democratic nomination, received 162 votes in Clinton County, with Bernie Sanders, his next closest opponent, receiving 31 votes in Clinton County. “Uncommitted” was chosen by 24 Clinton County Democrat voters.

In all, 266 Democrat votes were cast in the presidential primary.

In the Democrat race for U.S. Senate, local voters preferred Amy McGrath as the choice to take on McConnell this fall.

McGrath received 150 votes in Clinton County, while Charles Booker, her closest challenger, received 66 votes.

Mike Broihier receivd 16 votes and the remaining seven candidates appearing on the primary ballot split the remaining 23 votes.

With vote counting being completed in different ways across Kentucky, statewide results in the race between McGrath and Booker were not available prior to press deadine this week.

Clinton County’s vote totals were released with little fanfare early Tuesday morning, inside Clinton County Clerk Nathan Collins’ office.

On hand for the reading of the vote were Clinton County Election Officials Nathan Collins, Jeff Vincent, Tabatha Appleby Stratton and David Warinner.

Also present Tuesday morning were local media representatives Al Gibson (Clinton County News), Sid Scott II (WANY) and four citizen observers.

According to final election figures released by Collins, the primary turnout saw a total turnout of 34 percent of registered Clinton County voters casting votes, with 2,641 total ballots cast.

That figure represented a turnout of 37 percent of registered Republican voters with 2,375, while 24 percent of registered Democrats cast ballots, at 266.

Clinton County Election Officials, left to right, David Warinner, Tabatha Appleby Stratton, Clerk Nathan Collins and Sheriff Jeff Vincent, presided over Tuesday morning’s announcement of the June 23 Clinton County primary election results.