FRANKFORT, Ky- How the General Election in November will look is becoming clearer.

Secretary of State Micheal Adams told members of the Interim Joint Committee on State Government the preliminary plans on Tuesday. 

Kentuckians can expect to see more polling locations than in June, expanded early voting and a scaled-back absentee voting. 

“What I’m trying to find is the Goldilocks options of how do we have some absentee voting, some early voting, and some Election Day voting and not have too much pressure on some part of that system,” Adams told reporters after the committee. 

It’s still not clear who will be able to vote absentee in November Adams is weighing three options including leaving it to those who currently qualify, allowing no-excuse absentee, or expanding the number of people who can qualify. Adams says using the “middle ground” could mean allowing elderly people who may be physically able to cast ballots in person use absentee because of the coronavirus pandemic. Those with preexisting conditions that put them at a higher risk for COVID-19 would also be able to vote absentee. 

Members of the committee including Senate Minority Floor Leader Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, wanted to continue to see expanded absentee voting in November. 

“I would like to see us have a robust mail-in voting program, it worked really well, the portal worked really well,” he said. “I’m concerned that if we limit that right now that could cause problems later."

Adams however is predicting a 250 percent increase in voters for the November elections which he fears will cause the post office and county clerks to be unable to keep up with the demand for no-excuse absentee. 

“They (county clerks) and I are concerned that going from 750,000 absentee ballots to 1.875 million absentee ballots or more would overload and crash our systems,” he said. 

The cost associated with absentee ballots is another concern, however, Kentucky does have some money leftover from the CARES Act to help fund absentee ballots but Adams says more would be needed. 

Adams is hoping to open up early voting by allowing any voter to cast their ballots early with no appointment; he would also like to see every county offer Saturday voting but not every lawmaker is on board with expanded early voting, Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, expressed concerns with opening up voting early.

“Early voting shows no favor to underfunded candidates, less well-known candidates, and I think the Booker-McGrath race backed up my point,” he said. "I hope we are not voting for three weeks before the elections and I hope we are not waiting a full week to get our results”

Rep. Kevin Bratcher, R-Louisville, expressed the same concern with getting the results a week after the election and suggested moving the day to return the absentee ballots up so they have to be at the county clerks office on Election Day. Adams says they are working on improving the portal to request the ballots to see if they can make those accommodations. 

Finally, more polling locations will open than on Primary Day but it is not clear exactly how many will be open in each county. 

“How many we can have is ultimately up to Kentuckians to be good citizens and lend a hand,” Adams said. 

Adams hopes to have a plan to Gov. Andy Beshear by early August.