Absentee Voting Starts

Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes announced last Friday that eligible voters may now cast mail-in absentee ballots in Kentucky’s Nov. 3, 2015, General Election.

“Voting is both a right and a responsibility,” said Grimes, Kentucky’s chief election official. “I hope as many of Kentucky’s voters as possible will make their voices heard in the General Election.”

Individuals who may be eligible to vote by mail-in absentee ballot include:

•           Military personnel, their dependents, and overseas citizens

•           Students who temporarily reside outside the county

•           Voters who temporarily reside outside Kentucky (e.g., vacationers)

•           Voters who are incarcerated but have not yet been convicted

•           Voters whose employment takes them outside the county for all days and hours the polling place is open

•           Voters of advanced age or who suffer from disability or illness

•           Voters who are participants in the Secretary of State’s Address Confidentiality Program

Voters may request an absentee ballot application from their county clerk in person or via telephone, fax, or email. Qualified military and overseas voters may also use the online portal Grimes established in 2014 to request and receive their blank absentee ballots.

Applications for mail-in absentee ballots must be received by the clerk’s office no later than Oct. 27. The completed absentee ballot must be returned by mail and received by the county clerk by 6:00 p.m. local time on Election Day.

Individuals who do not qualify to vote by mail-in absentee ballot may still be eligible to vote in person prior to Election Day. In-person absentee voting will begin in all counties no later than 12 working days prior to the election, although county boards of elections may permit in-person absentee voting to start earlier. In-person absentee voting is conducted during the county clerk’s regular business hours on voting machines similar to those used on Election Day.

Persons with questions about absentee voting should contact their county clerk or call the State Board of Elections at 502-573-7100. Additional information about absentee voting is also available on the State Board’s website.