LEXINGTON, Ky. — Election Day is less than a week away, but voters don’t have to wait to have their voice heard. Thursday, early voting began in Kentucky and will continue Friday and Saturday.
\With early voting officially underway in the Commonwealth, voters in Lexington have four places to cast their ballot before Tuesday, Nov. 7. Lexington residents can early vote, regardless of precinct at three Lexington Public Library locations and the Lexington Senior Center.
Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., made a non-partisan stop in Lexington Thursday to celebrate the first gubernatorial election with three days, no excuse early voting period.
“Regardless of who you’re going to vote for, get out and vote and vote early,” Beshear said.
At the polls, one of many early voters on the first day was Skip Rafferty. Rafferty said since its inception in Kentucky, he prefers to go early.
“I like taking advantage of it, I’m retired and I don’t have the bounds of being at work, so it works out well for me,” Rafferty said.
It’s still a new process for Kentuckians, as it was adopted in 2020 and signed into law by Gov. Beshear in 2021.
“On election day, on Tuesdays I am a leader in Bible Study fellowship and we have leaders meetings so I have more time on this Thursday than I will next Tuesday,” said Elizabeth Gardner, a Lexington voter at the Lexington Public Library Eastside branch.
Gardner said she has spread the word to her friends and family that they don’t have to wait to cast a vote.
“In fact, I was kind of shocked when I got here that there was hardly any parking place because anybody I told about it didn’t know about it,” Gardner said.
Fayette County Clerk Susan Lamb said around 3,500 cast a ballot Thursday. Even more voted absentee or mail in. Lamb was joined by Gov. Beshear and Lexington leaders to mark the first day of early voting in Lexington and Kentucky.
“Our absentee ballot requests this year was 6,643 and do you know that was 2,000 more than the last gubernatorial election in 2019,” Lamb said.
Lamb also noted Fayette County is one of the best counties for voter turnout.
On a chilly, November day, Rafferty said there is nothing more American than voting in an election.
“Whether you’re in the majority or minority, you just really need to do it. It’s what being a citizen of this country is all about, in my opinion,” Rafferty said.
Polls open at 8:30 a.m. and close at 4:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Voters in Lexington, regardless of voting precinct, can vote at Lexington Public Library’s Eastside, Northside and Tates Creek branches and the Lexington Senior Center.
For more information, go to the Spectrum News Voter Guide.