After weeks of absentee ballot and early voting, Election Day in Kentucky is finally here. There will be only one polling location for in-person voting Tuesday in Daviess County.
Here’s what you need to know about voting in person, absentee ballots, and finding out results.
Where can Daviess County residents vote on Election Day?
The Owensboro Sportscenter, located at 1215 Hickman Drive, will serve as the lone in-person polling site for Tuesday’s Primary Election.
How long will the polls be open?
Polls will be open from 6 a.m.-6 p.m.
Where do voters go upon arrival?
Voters must enter through Gate 1 (facing Moreland Park and Hickman Avenue). There will be 10 check-in stations available inside the building and up to 100 voting booths available. Voters will exit through Gate 2 (next to Edge Ice Center) after they submit their ballots.
If someone requested an absentee ballot but didn’t return it in time, can they vote on Election Day?
Chief Deputy Clerk Richard House: The answer is yes; however, if they have their ballot we are asking that they bring it with them. These individuals will be the ones that cause the check-in process to be slow because we will have to call our office to cancel their ballots, have them sign the sub-roster, and then vote.
If they would drop their ballot in the drop-off box at the Daviess County Courthouse or put it in the mail, it prevents them from standing in line at the Sportscenter.
For individuals who were sent a ballot, but don’t bring it with them, we will go through the same process; however, we will have them sign an affidavit stating that their ballot was lost or destroyed and they wish to vote on a machine.
If their ballot is returned to our office in the mail or the drop-off box after they have attested to wishing to vote in-person and have done so, this is an election violation. These individual cases would be turned over to the Grand Jury for prosecution as they had intentionally tried to vote twice.
How will it be known that a voter has already requested an absentee ballot?
House: When a voter is checked in through the e-poll book, we will be able to see if a ballot was issued to them. We want everyone to vote; however, we don’t want anyone to vote twice. That is breaking the law.
If someone does vote in-person after having mailed their absentee ballot in, which vote would count?
House: We won’t allow that. (As mentioned above, if their ballot is returned after they have attested to wishing to vote in-person and have done so, this is an election violation. These individual cases would be turned over to the Grand Jury for prosecution as they had intentionally tried to vote twice.)
What time will the election results be announced, both for in-person voting and absentee ballots?
House: After the Sportscenter is closed down for the day, we will bring the MBBs (memory cards that hold the voting results for each machine) down to the Courthouse to tabulate those numbers with the in-house absentee voting and the machine that we have loaded with the ballots that have completed all processing. In other words, we will tabulate the bulk of ballots cast [that night].
Starting on Wednesday, we will finish processing what comes through that’s been postmarked on or before June 23 and what we haven’t finished prior to reporting on Election Night.
What is the procedure for disabled voters?
House: Disabled voters will have the e-slate disability machines set up to the right of the voting area in the Sportscenter. Anyone needing assistance will go through the normal process of completing an assistance form for helping a person with a disability.
If someone comes in and needs assistance, but doesn’t have anyone with them, a Republican and Democrat will assist them and fill out the assistance form.
If a voter is still standing in line at 6 p.m., can they cast their vote?
House: Yes.
Where can residents see the results?
House: We will post results to daviesscountyelections.org.
