How do I vote in the Kentucky primary election during the coronavirus pandemic?
The 2020 primary election, which was pushed back to June 23 in Kentucky, will look very different. Every Kentuckian is being encouraged to vote by mail in order to help stop the spread of the coronavirus and it’s likely that results won’t be announced until a week later, on June 30.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to casting a ballot in the election.
Register to vote
Check if you’re registered to vote at vrsws.sos.ky.gov/vic/. If you’re not, register to vote at elect.ky.gov. The voter registration deadline for the primary is May 26.
Request a ballot
The easiest way to get your ballot is to visit www.govotekentucky.com and follow the instructions at the ballot request portal of the State Board of Elections. The portal will close on June 15.
If that doesn’t work, you must contact your county clerk directly to request an absentee ballot. This could involve filling out an application for a ballot (the pre-COVID-19 process), which the county clerk will mail to you. If you are mailed a ballot application, you have to fill it out and send it back to the clerk before you can get your absentee ballot.
Fill out your ballot
Make the selections on your ballot. This year, there are primaries for president, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, Kentucky Senate, Kentucky House of Representatives, as well as local elections. Kentucky is a closed primary, so you will only be allowed to vote in the election for the party in which you’re registered.
Turn in your ballot
The state is paying postage on all the ballots they send out, so in theory, once you’ve filled out your ballot and signed your name, you just have to drop it in the mailbox by June 23. As long as it is postmarked by June 23, it will count.
Don’t trust the U.S. postal service to deliver your ballot? Every county will have a secure drop-box where you can submit your ballot by 6 p.m. on June 23rd.
If you vote in person
Everyone is being encouraged to vote by mail, if they can. Starting June 8th (some counties are starting earlier), people will be able to make appointments to vote in person. Fayette County, which will have roughly 432 appointments between June 8 and June 22, is giving priority to appointments for people with disabilities who cannot fill out a mail-in ballot.
On Election Day, most counties will have one large venue where people can go vote, rather than the usual precinct setup. They’re using large venues in part to make sure appropriate social distancing protocols are followed and because there aren’t enough poll workers to do a traditional precinct-based election.
Again, people are encouraged to vote by mail to avoid potentially long wait times at the polling locations.
This story was originally published May 22, 2020 at 1:32 PM.
