Monday is deadline to register to vote in May primary

By BILL MARDIS, Editor Emeritus

Somerset — The last day for new voters to register to vote in the May 18 primary elections is Monday, April 19. After Monday, voter registration books will be closed until the first Monday after the elections.

Pulaski County Clerk Ralph Troxtell pointed out that only new registrants before the books close are eligible to vote in whichever party’s primary they are registered. Persons who change their party registration after December 31, 2009 are not eligible to vote in the upcoming primaries.

Pulaski County election commissioner Mark Vaught said a voter switched his party registration this week and was extremely unhappy when informed he would not be able to vote in his new party’s primary.

However, all registered voters may vote in nonpartisan city and judicial primaries, and there are city and judicial races on the primary ballot. All eligible and registered voters, regardless of political party registration, may vote in the November 2010 General Election or any special election.

The Vote Kentucky Project on its website has addressed several rumors floating around elections:

Rumor: A voter will be turned away if he or she is wearing campaign apparel.

FACT: While electioneering, such as campaigning or soliciting votes, is prohibited within 300 feet of the polls, the wearing of campaign apparel such as hats, buttons, or shirts will not prevent a voter from voting.

Rumor: If a voter's house is under foreclosure, he or she will not be able to vote.

FACT: A foreclosure notice does not necessarily mean a person no longer resides in the home, as people often remain in the home after foreclosure begins and are sometimes able to refinance the home. Voters whose homes have been foreclosed but who remain in their homes may continue to vote in their assigned precinct. If a voter has moved, he or she needs to be registered at his or her new address. If the voter did not update his or her address before the voter registration deadline and has moved within the county, the voter will be able to vote at the precinct of his or her new residence. If the voter moved to another county after the voter registration deadline, he or she is allowed to go back to the old county of residence and vote in this election only.

Rumor: Absentee ballots are only counted when there is a close race.

FACT: All absentee ballots are counted if properly executed.

Rumor: If a voter owes child support or has pending warrants against him or her, the police will arrest the voter at the polls.

FACT: Kentucky’s constitution states that voters cannot be arrested while voting, on their way to vote, or returning from their vote except in the cases of a violation of election laws and breach of surety of the peace. The voter registration rolls at the polls have no indicators whether a voter owes child support or has outstanding warrants against him or her. Outstanding arrest warrants, traffic offenses, unpaid parking tickets, or unpaid child support do not impact a voter's eligibility to vote.

Rumor: If a college student registers to vote at the student's college address, the student's parents will not be able to claim the student as a dependent for tax purposes.

FACT: Registering to vote in Kentucky alone will not jeopardize a parent's ability to claim a student as a dependent for tax purposes.

Rumor: Poll workers are not allowed to assist a voter if there is a problem in casting a ballot.

FACT: Voters who ask for voting assistance due to physical disability, blindness, or an inability to read English may request voting assistance at the polls on Election Day. Physical disability and blindness are the only two reasons a voter may apply to the county board of elections for permanent voting assistance. A voter may receive assistance from someone of his or her choice or election officers at the polls. A voter may not be assisted by his or her employer, the employer's agent, a union officer, or agent of that voter's union. A voter may also request instructions on how to use the voting machine or ask other procedural questions of the precinct election officials assigned to the precinct on Election Day.

Rumor: In order to vote in the General Election, a voter must vote in the primary election in May.

FACT: Kentucky has no requirement for voters to vote in one election in order to be eligible to vote in another.

Rumor: If a voter leaves a race unvoted, it will cancel his or her votes in the other races.

FACT: A voter may choose to not vote in any particular race without affecting his or her votes in other races.

For the first time in a half century Pulaski countians will be marking paper ballots at all 59 precincts. The ballots are read and counted by an optical scanner at the polls.

As of March 16, Pulaski County had 28,469 Republicans, 11,277 Democrats and 2,522 registered as something other than Democratic or Republican.

Kentucky has closed primary elections. Actually, on May 18 there will be two elections, a Democratic primary and a Republican primary. Registered Republicans may vote in the Republican primary and registered Democrats may vote in the Democratic primary. Those registered under other designations, often referred to as independents, may only vote in nonpartisan municipal or judicial elections on May 18.

Text Only