We’ve gotten various questions about voting in the upcoming primary, especially about absentee ballots. So, we put together the following Q&A using information from a number of sources. Let us know if you have other questions, and we’ll try to get answers to them.
What’s the first step?
Your first step is to go to GoVoteKY.com and request your absentee ballot. It’s right at the top of the menu on the right. Remember, though, you only have a few days left to make that request: it has to be made by 11:59 PM on Monday, June 15.
How can I track my absentee ballot, from request to submission?
Go to the GoVoteKY.com web site and select “Check Absentee Ballot Status.” You’ll have to fill in the same information you would if you were checking your registration. Once you do, you’ll go to the page that shows your voter registration, your voting districts, and so on. At the bottom is a place to request an absentee ballot, if you haven’t done so.
But, at the top is a button for “Show Absentee Ballot Status.” Click that, and you get a pop-up showing what election this is for, when you requested an absentee ballot, when the county clerk received your absentee ballot request, when the clerk sent it to you, and when they got it back from you. It’s very helpful, and a great addition to the system. Thanks to the Board of Elections folks for putting in this additional functionality.
What if I requested an absentee ballot, and it never came?
First of all, use the Status Check tool discussed above. This will show you if they got your request, and if it’s been mailed back to you. If it has, then you should get it in a few days from when they mailed it.
If they didn’t get your request at all, call your county clerk and check with them. You should be able to request a ballot over the phone.
If they got your request but it hasn’t been mailed, give it a few days and check again. Then call your county clerk and ask about it.
What if my ballot comes too late to send it back in?
Let’s define “too late.”
- You can hand-deliver the ballot to a drop box at your county clerk’s office up to the day of the primary, June 23. (We believe it has to be in that drop box by the end of the polls being open that day, but we’re not sure about the time deadline.)
- If you mail it back in, the ballot has to be postmarked by June 23. So, even if you get it that day, as long as you mail it that day, you’ll be good.
- Absentee ballots that are mailed back in must be received by June 27 to count.
OK, it’s election day, and I still never received my absentee ballot. Now what?
At that point, if you want to vote, you will have to find the polling location(s) for your county, and go vote in person.
Can I vote in person other than on election day?
Yes, it’s called “in-person absentee voting” (🤔) and you do it be making an appointment with your county clerk and showing up at that time to vote.
What if someone mails in an absentee ballot, AND votes in person?
There’s a reason the absentee ballots all have bar codes, AND all the in-person ballots have bar codes. In both cases, the system tracks who has voted. If someone is shown to have already voted, the second ballot received by the system will be rejected.
What’s the biggest mistake people make when voting absentee?
Not signing both the inside envelope and the outside envelope.
What effect will all of this have on election results?
Since the deadline for absentee ballots to arrive is four days after election day, and since there will be so many absentee ballots, final conclusive results will be delayed. If a race is not close, this probably won’t matter. But if the race is close, we will have to wait till all the absentee ballots are counted to know who won.
Will we get to vote absentee in November?
Remains to be seen. But, a good turnout for the primary, plus a smoothly-run process, will help make the case for it.
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