Election less than month away

The 2016 General Election is less than a month away.

With the voter registration deadline passing Tuesday, and all official candidate filing completed, now the countdown is on for what is expected to be a hotly contested Presidential election on November 8.

Beyond McCreary County voters casting their ballots to voice their choice for President, there are other races that will appear on local ballots.

In addition to Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton, voters have four other candidates to consider on the Presidential Ballot.

Libertarian Gary Johnson, the Green Party’s Jill Stein, Independent Evan McMullin and Reform Party nominee Rocky De La Fuente.

In the only other race where a choice could be made, Republican Senator Rand is facing opposition from Democrat Jim Gray.

U.S. Representative Harold “Hal” Rogers and State Representative Ken Upchurch are both running unopposed.

The only local races on the ballot next month will be for three McCreary County Board of Education seats and the Soil and Water Conservation District supervisors.

In the School Board races 1st District representative Nelda Gilreath is running unopposed at this time.

The 3rd District race is between two newcomers, Casey Daugherty and Dustin Stephens, as incumbent Roxanne Shook did not file for re-election.

In the 5th District incumbent Debbie Gibson is being challenged by three opponents: James Kiser, Belinda Wilson and Kevin Taylor.

For the Soil and Water Conservation District race, three incumbants: Bradley Coffey Jr., Anthony Trammell and Coby Stephens have all filed for re-election. Peg Taylor, the fourth member of the Board, did not file prior to the deadline.

Candidates not appearing on the ballot for any of the races have until October 28 to file their intent to run as a write-in candidate. Without official registration, any write-in votes will be disqualified.

In office voting began today (Thursday) in County Clerk Eric Haynes’ office at the courthouse.

While Kentucky does not allow for early voting, those individuals who would normally be unable to vote on election day can apply for an absentee ballot by contacting the Clerk’s office.

Only those eligible for absentee voting, such as elderly, disabled, ill, military personnel or their dependants stationed outside the county, a student temporarily residing out of the county, or an individual who is employed outside the county and can not get to a polling place during voting hours can request an absentee ballot.

Those ballots can either be mailed or brought in to the Clerks’ office before 6:00 p.m. on election day.

The final day to request an absentee ballot will be November 1.