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Simpson County Preparing to Send Out Absentee Ballots for Nov. 3 Election

courthouses.co

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in Kentucky residents having several options for how they vote in the Nov. 3 general election.

Now voters don’t need an excuse for absentee voting, often called “vote by mail.”

The Simpson County clerk said requests for absentee ballot continue to arrive, but so far are less than the requests received for the primary election in June. 

Jolene Thurman said the county has about 14,000 registered voters and there were about 2,000 requests  for absentee ballots for the June primary.

“Right now, we actually have 777 requests that have been made," said Thurman. "The ballots have not been printed yet. They are getting printed this week according to the state Board of Elections. So, as soon as we get them, we will start mailing those out to those who have requested them.”

Thurman said the number of requests to vote by mail may be lower for the  general election because the state is also offering early in-person voting for three weeks beginning Oct. 13.

After the absentee ballot is filled out, it can be mailed back in the specially-designed envelope with the voter signature and other details that allow the voter's identifictaiotn to be confrimed.

The absentee ballot can also be deposited in a secure drop box inside the historic courthouse on the square in Franklin, where the clerk's office is located. 

“As far as the absentee ballots, I can assure the Simpson County residents that their vote is as secure as it can be," said Thurman. "It is mailed out from our office. We receive them. We put them in a lock box and don’t open them until they’re counted. It’s very secure.”

Although there have been suggestions of potential fraud with mail-in voting, the Brennan Center for Justice reports that extensive research reveals that fraud involving mail-in ballots is very rare.

Voters can track the status of their absentee ballot at govoteky.com

Voters can cast their ballot in person on Election Day, Nov. 3. 

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