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Early voter turnout expected to pick up this weekend in Warren County ahead of Tuesday primary

Jacob Ryan

Early voting for the Kentucky primary election wraps up on Saturday, May 18. Kentuckians have had a three-day window to vote before the traditional election day on May 21.

In Warren County, early voting got off to a slow start on Thursday, according to County Clerk Lynette Yates.

“Generally Saturday is our big day for early voting,” Yates said. “We’ve got the five locations open and everything seems to be going pretty smoothly.”

This year’s primary in Kentucky isn’t as high profile as last year’s, when the state had elections for Governor, Attorney General, and other statewide constitutional offices. Because Kentucky has a close primary system, voters registered with a political party may participate in that party’s primary, meaning Democrats may not vote in Republican primary and someone registered as an Independent or unaffiliated may not participate in either primary.

While not as popular in voter turnout, the primary election is important because some races will determine who ultimately takes office, since that nominee may not have a challenger in the general election.

Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams voted early Thursday at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. He stressed to Kentucky Public Radio and other media outlets the importance of the primary election.

“As the state gets more polarized geographically, as Louisville gets more blue and Lexington gets more blue and the rural areas get more red, increasingly the primary is the general,” Adams said.

In Warren County, incumbent House Representative Michael Meredith is being challenged on the ballot by Kelcey Rock, a Republican from Warren County to the house seat in District 19 that represents portions of Warren and Edmonson Counties. The winner of the primary election will claim a position in the Kentucky House of Representatives because no Democratic candidate has filed to challenge in the general election in November.

Voting locations vary between counties, but voting sites and hours are available on each county’s website or through the state website. Voters will need a valid form of identification, such as a driver's license or military ID in order to cast their ballot.

Yates encourages voters to research the candidates on the ballot before heading to the polls.

“Be an informed voter, know what you're voting for,” Yates said. “Of course there’s not a lot on this primary ballot there’s only just a few races for Democrats or Republicans just know what you're voting for, and who you're voting for.”

Jacob Martin is a Reporter at WKU Public Radio. He joined the newsroom from Kansas City, where he covered the city’s underserved communities and general assignments at NPR member station, KCUR. A Louisville native, he spent several years living in Brooklyn, New York before moving back to Kentucky. Email him at Jacob.martin@wku.edu.