Three-day early voting period set to begin in Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Lexington is getting ready for 3 days of early voting, beginning Thursday.

Whereas the Fayette County clerk expects small crowds for the first, he does have a number of considerations looking forward to November.

That is the primary time we’ll see early voting in Kentucky.

“The legislature allowed early voting in a invoice that handed final 12 months, 2021,” Fayette County Clerk Don Blevins mentioned.

Whilst you have the subsequent three days to vote early, Blevins mentioned they don’t count on a crowd.

“In different states which have tried early voting, it actually hasn’t achieved something for voter turnout. In actual fact, prove has gone down barely after early voting was instituted. It’s actually extra of a comfort for individuals who had been already going to vote early anyway,” Blevins mentioned.

Blevins says voter turnout throughout a main election cycle is often solely about 27% in any case. They’re ready in case they do see a crowd this week, however it’s the upcoming November election that’s elevating essentially the most considerations.

“They handed a legislation this 12 months that claims throughout early voting we will’t use absentee ballots. We’ve got to make use of precinct particular ballots. That sounds innocuous, however what which means is had they handed that previous to the poll deadline for this spring, as a substitute of preprinting 28 totally different poll mixtures, I’d have needed to preprint 858 totally different mixtures after which have these laid out on tables at Kroger Discipline,” Blevins mentioned.

Blevins’ group should have this achieved for November, whereas additionally working with an elections officer scarcity.

“Individuals are uncomfortable with the pandemic nonetheless lingering round. Individuals are additionally uncomfortable with the acrimony surrounding politics proper now. They’re scared of serving. And lastly, one other uncommon facet impact of the pandemic is lots of people are getting elective surgical procedures this 12 months that weren’t in a position to do it the final two years,” Blevins mentioned.

You may vote early Thursday by means of Saturday at Gate 11 at Kroger Discipline. It’ll be open from 8:30 a.m. till 4:30 p.m.

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