In Christian County, 53,051 registered voters are eligible to cast a ballot in Tuesday’s general election for six state constitutional offices, one state Supreme Court race and one local ballot question on the proposed nickel tax for public schools.
Local election officials are predicting 15-20% percent of those voters will participate in the general election, said Deputy Christian County Clerk Melinda Humphries.
“We always hope for more,” Humphries said.
The state offices on the ballot — all contested partisan races — are for governor, secretary of state, attorney general, auditor, treasurer and commission of agriculture.
Here is the ballot Christian County voters will see at the polls.
Incumbent Republican Gov. Matt Bevin and his running mate for lieutenant governor, state Rep. Ralph Alvarado, who is a physician from Winchester, faces Democratic challenger Andy Beshear and his running mate, Jacqueline Coleman, a public school administrator in Nelson County. Beshear, who is the state’s attorney general, is the son of former Gov. Steve Beshear.
The candidates are the other statewide races are for:
- Secretary of State: Michael Adams (R) and Heather French Henry (D)
- Attorney General: Daniel Cameron (R) and Gregory Stumbo (D)
- Auditor: incumbent Mike Harmon (R), Sheri Donahue (D) and Kyle Hugenberg (Libertarian)
- Treasurer: incumbent Allison Ball (R) and Michael Bowman (D)
- Commission of Agriculture: incumbent Ryan Quarles (R), Robert Haley Conway (D) and Josh Gilpin (Libertarian)
In the nonpartisan Supreme Court race, state Sen. Whitney Westerfield, of Christian County, faces Court of Appeals Justice Christopher Shea Nickell, of Paducah. They are seeking the 1st District seat on the Kentucky Supreme Court left vacant by the early retirement of Justice Bill Cunningham.
Nickel tax
The ballot question asks voters if they are “for or against” a nickel tax, which will levy 5.5 cents per $100 of assessed property value for a major renovation of existing schools and construction of new school buildings. The Christian County Board of Education unanimously approved the tax in February with the intention of financing a new academic building at Hopkinsville High School in the next couple of years, followed by a new academic building at Christian County High School before the end of this decade. However, a group that opposes the tax secured enough signatures on a petition to require a vote on the tax.
Every voter in Christian County is eligible to vote on the tax question with the exception of a portion of those in Oak Grove precincts who live on post at Fort Campbell. Residents of the Army post will not vote on the tax question because Fort Campbell has its own schools, said Humphries.
Polling places
There are no changes in polling places for the 41 precincts in Christian County, but voters will notice a difference in the way they sign the voter roster at their precinct.
“In the past, we’ve had paper rosters … those have been replaced,” Humphries said.
An electronic roster book, much like an iPad, will be used at all of the precincts. Voters will be able to scan a driver’s license on the electronic roster to confirm their identity and that they are in the correct precinct.
A backup paper roster will be available for voters who don’t have a driver’s license and prefer to not scan another type of personal identification. Also, poll workers will be able to call the clerk’s office to confirm any voter whose name does not show up on the electronic roster book, said Humphries.
Voter information
More information about local voting is available on the clerk’s website. Voters may check their registration and assigned precinct before going to the polls by using the Kentucky Secretary of State’s website.
Voters may also report any problems by calling the Christian County Clerk’s Office at 270-887-4107.
In the general election, voters may vote for candidates of either party regardless of their own party affiliation. If a voter picks the “straight party” option at the top of the ballot, it’s important to remember there are still two non-partisan items on the ballot — for Supreme Court and the nickel tax.
Polls are open Tuesday from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m.
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.
