FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky’s top election official says moving the state’s primary elections and giving people new options for voting will not only help keep people safe but also presents an opportunity to clean up the voter rolls and ensure secure voting procedures moving forward.

In an interview with The Bottom Line, Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams said voters across the state will soon receive a postcard in the mail informing them of their ability to do absentee mail-in voting and directing them to an online portal where they will verify their identity and request a mail-in ballot.

This, however, does not mean that people will not be able to vote in person for the primary elections, which have been moved from May 19 to June 23, 2020 following an executive order by Gov. Andy Beshear in March.

Adams said there will be increased early voting for those who would like to vote in person and measures taken to ensure the safety of both voters and poll workers during that process. He noted there will have to be some consolidation of polling locations due to the fact that some of them are nursing homes, schools, and other locations that should not be utilized for voting during this time.

These changes being made, Adams said, gives the state a rare opportunity to clean up its voter rolls by contacting voters directly and being able to remove names of those who have passed away, moved out of the state, etc. through this process to have a more accurate system. He also said using paper and scanners in this election (to avoid people continuously touching the same screen to vote electronically) will help the state cut down on concerns about hacking and security.

Secretary of State Adams also discussed the impact these changes could have on voter turnout, what is being done in other states, addresses criticisms to the plan, and more. Watch the full interview below: