Barren adds voting centers for General Election
Barren County Clerk Helena Chase Birdwell works with Ashton Harrison.
Special to the Progress
There’s no denying that in the past few years, the way Americans cast their votes at the polls has drastically changed. A break from the “normal,” coupled with ever-changing laws and regulations have no doubt made the process a learning experience for both voters and those in charge of local elections.
Barren County is no exception to this learning curve, but this November, County Clerk Helena Chase Birdwell hopes to accommodate voters in the county with addition of four voting centers, doubling the number of centers from the Primary Election and bringing the total number of voting centers to eight for the 2022 General Election.
In addition to the Barren County High School Gymnasium, the Cave City Convention Center, Austin Tracy Volunteer Fire Department and Haywood Volunteer Fire Department, voting centers will also be set up at Hiseville Volunteer Fire Department, Park City Lions Club, Temple Hill Volunteer Fire Department and the Beckton Community Center.
Prior to the pandemic, Barren County was home to 26 precincts across the county. In 2020, those precincts were replaced by voting centers, which allowed registered voters to cast their ballot at any one of the three locations, regardless of where they resided in the county.
Birdwell is excited to announce the expansion of these locations, which will once again be an option for all voters in the county.
“The majority of feedback regarding voter experience using the centers has been positive. Many in our county have expressed their desire for the return of voting precincts and I want to assure the residents of Barren County that we hear those concerns. The County Board of Elections, my staff and I work through every scenario given our resources, including voting equipment and manpower, and as of now, voting centers are the best option for the county as a whole,” states Birdwell.
She also suggests that voters pay close attention to both traditional and social media outlets for information and reminders regarding elections. Voters can also request an absentee ballot by visiting govote.ky.com starting September 24, 2022 until October 25, 2022.
Important Dates:
Last Day to Register to Vote or to Make Changes to Current Voter Registration: October 11th
Last Day for Absentee Ballot Request: October 25th
Early Excused Voting for the General Election: October 26th-November 2nd (at the County Clerk’s Office)
Early No-Excuse Voting for the General Election: November 3rd-November 5th (at the UK Extension Office)
Tuesday, November 8th: Election Day
