Graphic from Barren County Clerk’s Office
By Melinda J. Overstreet / Glasgow News 1
More than 4,000 people took advantage of the opportunity to participate in no-excuse early voting last week.
The no-excuse early voting took place Thursday through Saturday at the Barren County Extension Service, and its popularity was apparent that first morning, as voters were lined out the door. Barren County Deputy County Clerk Ashton Harrison, who also serves as elections coordinator, said they stayed fairly consistently busy throughout those days.
“It’s been a really good turnout. I think a lot of people are concerned about the election this year, and I think there’s going to be a pretty big turnout on Election Day as well,” she said, declining to make a guess on what that final ratio may be. “[Voting] is your right. We have so many men and women that died for that right, and I think it’s a very important thing to do to go vote.”
It could be a good way to demonstrate honor for those who have served in the military, especially with Veterans Day just three days after the election, she said.
Excused in-person absentee voting, which took place for six business days before the no-excuse, brought 182 voters to the county clerk’s office to cast their ballots, and 668 ballots had been distributed to be mailed in or dropped off in the secure box in the lobby of the main floor of the Barren County Government Center.
Barren County has a total of 32,737 registered voters for this general election, according to figures from the Kentucky Board of Elections website. Close to 50 percent – 16,294 — of those are Republicans, and Democrats comprise 42 percent, or 13,849. The rest are registered as independent or one of a handful of other parties.
Women constitute a relatively slight majority among those registered to vote here – at 17,378 or roughly 53 percent.
On the ballot
In addition to helping determine whether Kentucky’s constitution will be changed in two possible ways, Barren Countians will help elect a U.S. senator for Kentucky — either incumbent Republican Rand Paul or Democratic challenger Charles Booker, and a U.S. representative for Kentucky’s 2nd Congressional District, either Democrat Hank Linderman or incumbent Republican Brett Guthrie.
Steve Riley, a Republican, currently holds the 23rd District seat for the Kentucky House of Representatives, and he is unopposed in this race.
Barren Countians will also help with the selection of two Kentucky Court of Appeals judges and a Kentucky Supreme Court justice, all nonpartisan positions. The current chief justice of Kentucky’s top appellate court, John D. Minton, did not seek re-election, and two individuals are hoping to take his spot: Kelly Thompson Jr. of Bowling Green, who has represented the 2nd Division of the 2nd District on the state Court of Appeals since 2006, and Shawn Marie Alcott, a Bowling Green civil attorney focused mostly on healthcare law, according to her campaign website, who has served as an assistant county attorney.
Kelly Mark Easton, a circuit judge in Hardin County who serves as chief regional circuit judge, is unopposed in his desire to take the Court of Appeals seat Thompson is vacating.
The 2nd District, 1st Division seat on the Court of Appeals has incumbent Jeff Taylor hoping to stay on board, but David Clement is also running.
All three local judges — District Judge Gabe Pendleton and Circuit Judges John T. Alexander and, in Family Court, Mica Pence — are unopposed in their aims to be re-elected. Both the district and the circuit, in this case, also include Metcalfe County.
The county judge-executive race may be the most hotly contested local contest, with two-time incumbent Democrat Micheal Hale seeking a third term but with Republican Jamie Bewley Byrd doing what she can to unseat him.
Whichever of them wins will be part of a Barren County Fiscal Court with at least five new members, as only two – Jeff Botts, who is unopposed for District 1, and Tim Coomer, a Republican from District 4 opposed by Democrat Chris Eaton – are seeking re-election.
Three other county races have significant interest. County Attorney Kathryn Thomas, a Democrat, has opposition from Republican Mike Richardson. The incumbent jailer lost his bid in the primary, leaving Democrat Cody Huff and Republican Aaron Shirley to vie for the position. Meanwhile, incumbent Sheriff Kent Keen, a Democrat, is seeking re-election against Republican Steve Garrison.
Other county races besides constables all have incumbents unopposed for re-election: Property Valuation Administrator Kimberly Shipley, County Clerk Helena Chase Birdwell, Coroner Tim Gibson and County Surveyor Ashton McPherson.
Glasgow’s mayor will be new – either Henry Royse or Keith Rowlett. Fourteen people, including eight incumbents, are seeking the nine Glasgow council positions.
Cave City has three candidates from whom to pick a mayor, incumbent Dwayne Hatcher, current Councilwoman Leticia Cline or local businessman J.R. Poynter. A dozen people, including four incumbents, are running for the six council seats there.
Park City’s incumbent mayor, Larry Poteet, is unopposed for re-election, and four people — three of whom are incumbents plus one who is new, Gary Carroll II — are seeking the four city commission seats there. Two of the other three seats are taken by Donna and Angelo Scavo, who are a married couple, and the other returning incumbent is Michael Burgess.
The seats up for election this year on the Barren County Board of Education have incumbents Mike Miller and Joey Newberry each unopposed in their respective districts, 1 and 3.
Three seats of the five seats on the Glasgow Independent Schools board are up for election this year, with incumbents Barret Lessenberry, William Thornbury and Reginald Hayden plus challenger Jonathan P. Talley seeking them.
Caverna Independent Schools’ board has two incumbents – Gina Lyon and Colisha Nuckols – and three others – Mickey Hatchett, Allison Dennison and Jennifer Page Ballard – seeking three seats.
One other nonpartisan race is on the ballot, which is district supervisor for the Soil and Water Conservation District, and only two people are seeking the three seats available.
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