Polls are open in Rowan County and voters are casting ballots for several state-wide offices, including governor of the Commonwealth.
Rowan Clerk Elwood Caudill Junior said 3,036 voters cast ballots as of Tuesday afternoon, a 26.1 percent turnout. According to the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s State Board of Elections, in the last gubernatorial election in 2019, voter turnout in Rowan County was 49.2 percent.
The incumbent Democratic Governor Andy Beshear is seeking re-election against Republican challenger Daniel Cameron, the current Attorney General. Both candidates have campaigned on their visions for eastern Kentucky, speaking to the region’s challenges, with a focus on economic decline and the record-breaking 2022 floods.
Beshear visited Morehead the Monday before election day, where he spoke to a crowd of more than a hundred people at the Laughlin Health Building on Morehead State University’s campus. He said it was special to be in Morehead on the last day of his campaign.
“We’re excited about how we’re going to do in eastern Kentucky, having been here both in times of difficulty after flooding, but also in times of prosperity, with companies like Rajant expanding right here,” said Beshear.
Beshear brought with him Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman, as well as Democratic candidates for Attorney General, Pamela Stevenson, and Auditor of Public Accounts, Kim Reeder. They face Republicans Russell Coleman and Allison Ball, respectively.
Cameron’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment on Monday, but at a campaign stop this summer, Cameron told WYMT about his vision for eastern Kentucky.
“We also need to target small manufacturing to eastern Kentucky and have an economic development cabinet that mirrors our population,” said Cameron. “That means having someone from eastern Kentucky that serves within that cabinet to make sure this area is not forgotten.”
Polls are open until 6 p.m. Voters from any precinct in Rowan County can vote at either the Carl D. Perkins Center or the Rowan County Conference center. Caudill said both voting locations have been running without delays.
“I’m not hearing of any back-up, back-logs, or anything like that. So, we have two clerks at each station, so it’s going fairly smooth.” said Caudill.
Anyone in line by 6 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
