The November General Election is now less than one week away, and although there may not be as many names as usual on a ballot in a local election year, Clinton County registered voters will have a lot to chose from on the ballot.

Clinton County voters will help elect local, state, and federal leaders, as well as decide judgeships and make decisions on Kentucky Constitutional Amendment questions this election cycle.

Official Election Day is next Tuesday, November 8, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the usual three voting locations. However, early voting will be held three days prior to November 8 at those locations, as well.

Early voting will take place Thursday, Friday and Saturday, November 3, 4, and 5. All registered voters, regardless of the precinct they reside in, can vote at the Welcome Center, Community Center or South Kentucky RECC from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on any of the aforementioned days during the early voting”period.

Some 7,788 residents in Clinton County are currently registered to vote, with the vast majority of those being a member of the Republican party, where 6,653 are GOP voters.

Of the total registered voters in the county’s population, only 946 are of the Democrat party and only 189 are registered as “independent” or “other” party registrants.

The races with arguably the most interest locally will be in the corporate city limits and will include the race for Albany Mayor–a four year term–and six seats on the Albany City Council. Ten candidates are seeking council positions for two year terms.

Regardless of the outcome at the polls next week, the make-up of local city and county government, and a slight change in the school board, will become visible in January of 2023.

There will be three new Clinton County Fiscal Court Magistrates, all Republicans and all unopposed this November.

The same will go for the Albany City Council, as at least three new council members will be seated.

Of the six incumbent council members, only three are seeking re-election.

There is also a race for the leading position in both county and city governments, with Clinton County Judge/Executive Ricky Craig, Republican incumbent, being opposed by write-in candidate John Talbott. And in the race for Mayor of Albany, which is a non-partisan seat, incumbent Mayor Lyle Pierce is opposed by current city councilman Steve Lawson.

There will also be some new county-wide officials come January, as a result of the May primary election and no Democrat candidates having filed.

Clinton County will have a new jailer, Bruce Stearns; a new sheriff, Ricky Marcum; and a new coroner, Lonnie Scott.

Both Clinton County Sheriff Jeff Vincent and Coroner Steve Talbott decided to retire from those respective positions and not seek reelection this year.

The incumbent members on the Clinton County Fiscal Court, Mickey Riddle, Jerry Lowhorn and Gary Ferguson are unopposed next week

County office holders who are unopposed and will return to office in January include County Clerk Nathan Collins, County Attorney Michael Rains, and PVA (Property Valuation Administrator) Pat Campbell.

In a judicial race involving Clinton, Wayne and Russell counties, Division II District Judge Mike Lawson of Albany ran unopposed. Also, 40th Circuit Judge David L. Williams, who serves Clinton, Cumberland and Monroe counties, ran without opposition.

New magistrates will include former magistrate Gary Tallent in District 3, Jason Pitman in District 2, and former city councilman Tony Delk in District 1.

Also, Jeremy Fryman will become a new school board member in District 5 after current member Kevin Marcum withdrew from the race earlier this year. That district is comprised of the Piney Woods, Nora and Snow precincts.

Bobbie Stone, District One school board member serving the South Albany and Hayes-Maupin precincts, is unopposed.

There is one judicial race of interest on the ballot this year, that being the 40th District Judge Division I seat, which is currently held by Scarlett B. Latham of Albany. She is being opposed in the non-partisan race by attorney Lee Whittenburg of Monticello.

The 10 people seeking seats on the Albany City Council include incumbents Sarah Wilson-Browning, Joe Stockton and Reed Sloan. Other candidates are former council members Renee York and James Bray, outgoing magistrate Johnny Russell, and newcomers Randy Speck, Samuel Rains, Junior Gregory, and Tim Norris.

Two Court of Appeals judge races will be on the ballot in the Third Division with both candidates, Jacqueline Caldwell and James H. Lambert being unopposed in Divisions I and II, respectively.

One state race will appear on the Clinton County ballot, that being 83rd District State Representative, where incumbent Republican Josh Branscum of Russell County is running without opposition.

Local voters will also help determine the makeup of federal government by voting for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives (Congress) and U.S. Senate.

In the First Congressional District, incumbent Republican James Comer of Tompkinsville is opposed by Democrat Jimmy C. Ausbrooks.

The U.S. Senate race will pit GOP incumbent Rand Paul of Bowling Green against Democrat nominee Charles Booker.

There will also be races for Constable in each of the six county districts, some candidates being incumbents and others being new candidates.

The ballot will also include two Kentucky State Constitutional Amendment questions. One is a lengthy question dealing with General Assembly session times, years and protocol and the other issue pertains to abortions and state funding of the procedure in Kentucky.

Remember, voting is a right, a privilege, and a responsibility. Voters are urged to exercise their freedom of choice by casting a ballot in this year’s November General Election, either in early voting this week, or next Tuesday, November 8.