The Christian County Clerk’s Office has identified seven polling places for the Nov. 3 general election, which state election officials will need to approve.
In a Facebook post this week, County Clerk Mike Kem’s staff listed these likely polling places:
- James E. Bruce Convention Center, 303 Conference Center Drive
- Christian County Senior Citizens Center, 1402 W. Seventh St.
- Christian County Courthouse, 511 S. Main St.
- Valor Hall Conference and Event Center, 105 Walter Garrett Lane, Oak Grove
- Crofton City Hall, 101 E. Mill St.
- Pembroke Baptist Church, 144 S. Main St.
- Sinking Fork Baptist Church, 5800 Princeton Road
Regardless of a Christian County voter’s home address, they will be able to vote at any polling place, the clerk’s office noted. The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Election Day.
Voters will also have several options for early voting, in addition to absentee voting by mail.
The courthouse and the Christian County Sheriff’s Department, 701 W. Seventh St., will have early, in-person voting from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 13-17, 19-24 and 26-31.
Some of the state’s voting regulations are different this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. For example, voters do not have to have a special excuse to vote early or by absentee ballot. An agreement reached in mid-August between Secretary of State Michael Adams and Gov. Andy Beshear, outlined the changes.
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“If you’re concerned about your health, you can vote absentee. You don’t have to tell your county clerk or me or anyone else what your health condition is,” Adams said when he and the governor announced plans for the general election.
Voters have until Oct. 9 to request an absentee, mail-in ballot. The easiest way is through the state’s voter information portal. Voters who need additional assistance should call the clerk’s office at 270-887-4105.
Completed ballots may be returned in the mail as long as they are postmarked no later than Nov. 3. Voters may also hand-deliver their absentee ballots to drop boxes at the courthouse and the sheriff’s department during regular business hours, or at any polling place on Election Day.
The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 5. Kentucky residents who are U.S. citizens and who will be 18 years old by Election Day may register online or in person at the county clerk’s office.
Because of the coronavirus, a limited number of customers are allowed inside the courthouse, so wait times can be longer than local residents typically have experienced, Deputy County Clerk Melinda Humphries previously said.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
