By STU JOHNSON

CREDIT SOS.KY.GOV

With the general election less than one month away, Kentucky’s top election official is already predicting about three-quarters of registered voters will cast a ballot in November.  Michael Adams addressed Lexington Rotarians remotely last week.

During this coronavirus period, Kentucky voters have options.  They can vote by mail, drop box, early in-person, and on Election Day.  Secretary of State Michael Adams expects a great deal of absentee voting, but he hopes those who feel comfortable doing so, will vote in person.  Adams said requesting a ballot and placing it in a drop box, which he describes as a mailbox on steroids, is also a good option. “You can use the drop box.  It’s basically like voting in person, except there is no line.  Fill it out at home and you just go to a drop box and drop it off and you know your vote was received.  The clerk’s got it.  That gives you all the benefits of voting in person without the lines,” said Adams.

Adams noted partisan picking in other states over the voting process during this year’s primary caused major problems.  That’s why he says a working agreement with Governor Beshear was so important.  Adams told Rotarians quote, “everyone for the most part believes the system is fair.”  “If it were just me making all this stuff up I think democrats would be suspicious and I think if it were just the governor then republicans would cry foul.  It’s important I think that our system be seen as legitimate.  There’s a lot of concern right now about the legitimacy of our elections.  We can’t have that.  Not in Kentucky for sure,” explained Adams.

Adams anticipates about 80% of Kentucky’s overall vote to be tallied on Election night and some races called.  But, the secretary of state said some states don’t even process absentees before Election Day, so Adams added the presidential race outcome may not be known until the middle of November.

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