Secretary of State
Absentee Voting for Primary Election is Open

Through provisions in Kentucky law that permit certain voters to cast absentee ballots prior to Election Day, voters across Kentucky are already heading to the polls, either in person or by mail. Individuals who are eligible to participate in the May 22 Primary Election via absentee ballot include:

• Military personnel, their dependents, and overseas citizens
• Students who temporarily reside outside the county
• Other voters who temporarily reside outside of Kentucky (e.g., vacationers)
• Voters who are incarcerated but have not yet been convicted
• Voters whose employment takes them outside the county during all hours the polling place is open
• Voters who will be out of the county on Election Day
• Military personnel confined to base who learn of that confinement within seven days or less of the election
• Voters and spouses of voters who have surgery scheduled that will require hospitalization on Election Day
• Pregnant women in their third trimester
• Precinct Election Officials
• Voters of advanced age or who suffer from disability or illness

Depending on the reason for casting an absentee ballot, an individual may be permitted to vote either by mail-in ballot or in person. Voters may request an absentee ballot application from their county clerk in person or via telephone, fax, or email. Applications for mail-in absentee ballots must be received by the clerk’s office by no later than May 15, 2012, and the completed absentee ballot must be received by the county clerk by 6:00 p.m. local time on Election Day.

In-person absentee voting will begin in all counties no later than May 4, 2012, although county boards of elections may permit in-person absentee balloting to start earlier than that date. In-person absentee voting is conducted during the county clerk’s regular business hours on voting machines similar to those used on Election Day. In-person absentee votes must be cast by close of business on May 21.

“Voting is both a right and a responsibility,” said Alison Lundergan Grimes, Kentucky’s Secretary of State and Chief Election Officer. “Our law provides a number of different methods for casting a ballot, and I hope as many people as possible will make their voices heard on Election Day.”

Secretary Grimes also reminds voters that with the start of in-person absentee voting, electioneering laws are in effect in buildings where absentee voting is conducted. During polling hours, electioneering is prohibited inside the absentee voting locations, and electioneering materials may not be affixed to the interior or exterior of those buildings.

Anyone with questions about absentee voting or electioneering laws should contact their county board of elections, county clerk, or the State Board of Elections.  Additional information is also available online at elect.ky.gov.

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