Question: Was the primary we just carried out in the midst of a pandemic an example of bi-partisan cooperation and an amazing feat that we should be proud of? Or, did the plan, as necessary as it was, result in voter suppression of some of our voters?
As the meme says, why not both? Here at Forward Kentucky, we received two different op-eds from two different authors, expressing two different views of how the election went. One is by Christina Conover, a teacher and activist in Northern Kentucky. The other is by Gay Adelmann, an activist in Louisville and a member of the “Believe in Booker” coalition.
Rather than combine the two pieces into one, or run them individually, we are putting this introduction on both of them, and publishing them both at once. We encourage you to read both of them. Perhaps, as we come together to work to defeat Mitch McConnell in the fall, no matter who wins the nomination, we can learn from both writers as well.
(An op-ed by Christina Conover)
Thanks to social media, there has been an inordinate amount of misinformation surrounding the Kentucky election process. It started with the voter suppression rumor, which, as a Kentucky resident, I can reliably refute.
Because of the bipartisan effort of Democratic Governor Andy Beshear and Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams, we knew weeks ahead of time that the primary had been delayed to June 23, and that we would have the option to vote by mail or to vote early in-person at the clerk’s office. In late May, registered voters were sent postcards with step-by-step instructions for requesting ballots. Furthermore, numerous websites, including govoteky.com, posted information about primary voting. Even the regular polling places in Kenton County, where I live, had signs directing voters to the NKY Convention Center, the one polling place for Kenton on June 23.
As volunteers on the McGrath campaign, my husband and I worked at a booth outside the convention center for much of the day. We talked to several voters who said the process was smooth and well-conducted. According to another story on Forward Kentucky, in Jefferson County the single voting location at the Exposition Center was in actuality eighteen polling locations, with various lines depending upon each voter’s precinct. Overall, the process went remarkably well considering the fact that about 15% of Kentucky primary voters voted in-person on the day of the primary election.
We also have a friend who has been working at our county board of elections helping to tally the mail-in ballots. The process for counting ballots is meticulous and requires inclusion of people from both the Republican and Democratic Parties. If people are doubtful about their vote counting, think again. YOUR VOTE COUNTS, and it is your responsibility to be an informed and active participant in the process. Democracy works when more people vote and let their voices be heard. Donald Trump was elected by about 25% of registered voters. Think that one over…
The rumblings from some quarters about the ballot tally process remind me too much of the strategies employed by the Bevin/Trump/Republican playbook. The last thing we need is voters who buy into the lie that their vote doesn’t count or that the tallying process for mail-in voting is rigged. No matter who wins the primary, we need to unite as a party and support the candidate whom the majority of people voted to run against McConnell in the general election. I sincerely hope and fully expect that the McGrath campaign will urge their voters to vote for Booker should he win, and that the Booker campaign will do the same should she win.
And a final side note: Kentucky could be a model for the nation going into the general election. Kentuckians had ample time and numerous options for voting and for allowing their voices to be heard. This primary had record turnout for our state, and that is a feat for which we should all be proud.
We have to stop sowing doubt in our institutions, even as Trump continues to do so. We have too much work to do in four very short months, and we’re wasting precious time.
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Now read “All eyes still need to be on Kentucky” by Gay Adelmann.