Lexington adds two new polling places amid concerns of too few mail-in vote requests
Fayette County Clerk Don Blevins said Monday he is adding two more in-person voting locations in Lexington and sounded the alarm that not enough voters have requested absentee ballots.
“I think we’re already handcuffed with the low number of locations, so anything we can add helps relieve the pressure,” Blevins said.
The two new locations mean there will be eight in-person polling places in Fayette County. People will be able to begin voting in person on October 13.
So far, around 83,000 Fayette County residents have requested absentee ballots, but Blevins said he would like to see more than 120,000 ballot requests. He said the county clerk’s office has sent out about 79,000 ballots and about 20,000 have been returned so far.
Around 136,000 people in Fayette County cast ballots in the 2016 presidential election.
“I’m hopeful folks will get on it this week and go out and request,” Blevins said.
Friday, October 9, is the last day to request an absentee ballot and Monday, October 5, is the last day to register to vote in time for the election.
The two new in-person voting locations will be at elementary schools — Garrett Morgan Elementary (1150 Passage Mound Way) and Wellington Elementary (3280 Keithshire Way).
The other six sites are:
- Tates Creek Branch Library, 3628 Walden Dr.
- Northside Branch Library, 1733 Russell Cave Road
- Beaumont Branch Library, 3080 Fieldstone Way
- Dunbar Center, 545 N. Upper St.
- Lexington Senior Center, 195 Life Lane
- BCTC Leestown Campus, 164 Opportunity Way
Polling locations will be open Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. They will be open Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. On Election Day, the eight sites will be open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Last week, Kentucky’s Secretary of State, Michael Adams, said he would like to see Fayette County add additional polling places. Fayette County’s plan has not yet been approved by the State Board of Elections.
This story was originally published October 5, 2020 at 12:57 PM.
