We have gathered additional details about the voting procedures for the June primary, including the expanded absentee voting. There’s still more to work out about the processes, including building the online portal, but the outline of voting in the primary is coming into focus.
From Secretary of State Michael Adams
(Taken from this press release)
1. The “medical emergency” basis under current law for absentee voting will include “a reasonable fear of infection or transmission during a state of public health emergency declared by the Governor,” and the current requirement for a “medical emergency” absentee voter to notarize an application to vote absentee will be waived.
2. In-person early voting will be made available by June 8 and run through June 23. Voting practices will be conducted consistent with Centers for Disease Control guidance, with materials available for proper sanitization. Expanding the number of election days will help county clerks keep polling lines manageable. Voting methods will limit direct contact between individuals.
3. County clerks are permitted to significantly reduce the number of sites for in-person voting on election day, June 23, and are encouraged to use vote centers and to consolidate precincts. Voting practices will be conducted consistent with Centers for Disease Control guidance, with materials available for proper sanitization, and will limit direct contact between individuals.
4. The state will notify each registered voter by mail of the options to vote absentee.
5. The state will establish a secure online portal for the request of an absentee ballot by a registered voter, which will require the voter to prove identity with personally identifiable information. Voters may also use traditional methods to request an absentee ballot. Expanding the ease of obtaining a mail-in ballot will increase voter convenience and help county clerks keep polling lines manageable.
6. The state will establish a process for tracking absentee ballots requested, sent, and received.
7. Processing and counting of ballots may begin as soon as June 1, with counting to be completed by June 30. No results will be announced before 6:00 p.m. on June 23.
8. County clerks will match the signature on an absentee ballot envelope to the voter’s signature of record. Voters whose signatures do not match will be provided an opportunity to cure the mismatch.
9. In order to more expeditiously clean up its voter rolls, the state will proactively contact registered voters who have moved out-of-state in an effort to obtain permission to remove them from the rolls.
Secretary Adams reminds voters that the new Photo ID law will not yet be in effect for the June 23 elections.
Other details from the state BOE meeting
A number of people watched the live stream of the state Board of Elections meeting, and shared these additional details:
- There’s a June 15 deadline to request a mail-ballot.
- Ballots need to be postmarked June 23 and received by June 26.
- There will be drop-off locations for ballots too.
- There will be some kind of cure process to let voters know about errors in their ballot and to let them make corrections.
- Secretary Adams wants to limit drop boxes to just in front of sheriff’s offices, but not all Kentuckians have good experiences with the police and it’s not clear the State Board will support that proposal.
- It’s unclear if they’ll be able to provide return postage for ballots and the State Board is worried about a legal challenge on the basis that that’s arguably a poll tax. They’re trying to get funding, but drop off locations would protect them from a legal challenge.
- County Clerks and the Sec of State will report partial election results on June 23 and full results June 30th.
- It’s critical that voters update their voting address at www.govoteky.org so they get the postcard from the State Board.
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