Somerset — If you voted in the May – most people didn’t – and if you plan to vote Tuesday – apparently most people don’t – the 59 polling places in Pulaski County remain at the same locations as during the primary elections.

Secretary of State Elaine Walker predicts no more than 25 to 28 percent of Kentucky voters will go to the polls on Election Day to select a governor for the next four years. And, according to political experts around the Pulaski County courthouse, no lines are expected at any of the county’s voting places.

If 25 percent of Pulaski County’s 43,422 registered voters go to the polls, just under 11,000 votes would be cast. That’s considerably below the 15,363 voters, or 36.2 percent, who went to the polls four years ago when Steve Beshear unseated Ernie Fletcher.

The weather won’t keep anybody from voting. Long-range forecast for Tuesday is more like May than November – partly sunny with a high about 69.

Expected low voter turnout is due to lack of interest. Democrats are complacent because their candidate, incumbent Gov. Beshear, has a wide lead in public opinion polls. His main opponent, Senate President David Williams is probably the most knowledgeable man in Frankfort about state government, but he admits being short on people skills. “But they like what I do,” he contends.

Gatewood Galbraith, the Lexington lawyer and perennial candidate, is running third in the governor’s race, according to pollsters. He is expected to attract more voters than in past efforts at various state offices, but he is not expected to win.

Beshear’s running mate, Jerry Abramson, former long-time mayor of Louisville, is popular in the state’s most populous region. Williams’ running mate, Richie Farmer, currently commissioner of agriculture and former Clay  County and University of Kentucky basketball star, has double dribbled more than once since he announced for the state’s second highest office. Dea Riley is running with Galbraith.

Some excitement is being generated in the Pulaski County School District’s 2nd Division for a seat on the board of education. However, not enough precincts are involved in the only local contest to have a great effect on total turnout.

Jim Wilson is currently seated in the 2nd Division seat on the Pulaski County Board of Education by appointment and wants to stay there. Brandon Cross has launched a heavy advertising campaign to win the seat, and Jimmy Tyler Hibbard is also in the race. The winner will fill two years of the unexpired term of Samantha Ping-Stevens. She resigned as a member of the school board for lack of time as she gets a degree from the University of Kentucky.

Precincts in the Pulaski County School District’s 2nd Division are No. 5C Somerset, No. 8 Ferguson, No. 9 Parker, No. 10E Bourbon East, No. 14 Rush Branch, No. 30 Mark, No. 31 Catron, No. 32 Mayfield, No. 33 Mt. Victory, No. 35 Colo and No. 45 Dallas.

In addition to the gubernatorial candidates, other statewide contests include Jack Conway, Democrat, and Todd P’Pool, Republican, for attorney general; L.J. “Todd” Hollenbach, Democrat, KC Crosbie, Republican, and Kenneth C. Moellman, Jr., Libertarian, for state treasurer; Alison Lundergan Grimes, Democrat, and Bill Johnson, Republican, for secretary of state; Adam H. Edelen, Democrat, and John T. Kemper III, Republican, for auditor of public accounts; and Robert “Bob” Farmer, Democrat, and James R. Comer, Republican, for commissioner of agriculture.

Following are locations of the 59 voting places in Pulaski County:

Somerset 1 – Fiscal courtroom in the courthouse.

Somerset 2 –  Somerset City Hall.

Somerset 3A – Somerset Family Fitness Center (YMCA).

Somerset 3B – basement of courthouse.

Somerset 3C – Somerset Family Fitness Center (YMCA).

Somerset 4A – South Central fire station.

Somerset 4B – Meece Middle School.

Somerset 4C – Meece Middle School.

Somerset 5A – Memorial Learning Center.

Somerset 5B – Somerset Housing Authority.

Somerset 5C – Somerset Mall.

Somerset 5D – The Neighborhood.

Somerset 5E – The Neighborhood.

Somerset 6 – Rocky Hollow Recreation Center.

Ferguson 8 – Ferguson Fire Station.

Parker 9 – American Legion hall.

Bourbon East 10E  – Southern Elementary School.

Bourbon West 10W –- Somerset Mall.

Saline North 11 – Southwestern High School.

Saline South 11 (2) Oak Hill Elementary School.

Firebrook 11F – Oak Hill Baptist Church gym.

Girdler 12 – Pleasant Hill Baptist Church.

Caney Fork 13 – Northern Middle School.

Rush Branch 14 – Haynes Knob Fire Station.

Nancy 15 – Mill Springs Visitors Center.

Okalona 16 – Delmer Nazarene Church basement.

Harrison 17 – Faubush Fire Station.

Fall Branch 18 – Cain Store Fire Department.

Hickorynut 19 – Cain Store Fire Department.

Ansel 21 – Jacksonville Fire Department.

Science Hill City 22 – Science Hill Fire Department.

Science Hill County 23 – Science Hill School.

Buncombe 24 – Hal Rogers Boys and Girls Club.

Eubank 25 – Eubank Fire Station.

Estesburg 26 – Eubank Fire Station.

Price 27 – Dabney Fire Station.

Goodhope 28 – Woodstock Fire Station.

Hazeldell 29 – Woodstock Fire Station.

Mark 30 – Shopville Elementary School gym.

Catron 31 – Pumpkin Center Fire Station.

Mayfield 32 – Shopville Fire Station.

Mt. Victory 33 – Mt. Victory Fire Station.

Colo 35 – White Lily Fire Station.

Burnside City 36 – Burnside Fire Station.

North Burnside City 36N – Burnside Fire Station.

Burnside County 36A – Somerset Mall.

Burnside County East 36E – Southern Middle School.

Burnside County South 36S –- Ricky Lee storage building.

Burnside County West 36W – Somerset Mall.

Gamblin 37 – Tateville Fire Station.

Bronston South 38 – Bronston Fire Station.

Bronston North 38N – Bronston Fire Station.

Sloans Valley 39 – Sloans Valley Church.

Gilliland 40 – Eagle Heights Church.

Vaught 43 – Hal Rogers Fire Training Center.

Naomi East 44E – Naomi Volunteer Fire Department.

Naomi West 44W – Naomi Volunteer Fire Department.

Dallas 45 – Shopville School gym.

Mt. Zion 47 – Science Hill Nazarene Church gym.

Polling places will open at 6 a.m. Tuesday and balloting will continue until 6 p.m. Tabulation of votes will be done at the county clerk’s office in the courthouse.

County Clerk Ralph Troxtell said a large video screen will be in place in his office to display totals as information comes in from precincts.  

Bill Mardis may be contacted at bmardis@somerset-kentucky.com or telephone 451-4919.