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Election Officials Hope 'Ballot Curing' Will Get More Kentucky Votes Counted

Josh James
/
WUKY

Kentucky election officials are working on a system that will both notify absentee voters of mistakes made when filling out their ballots and give them a chance to fix them.

Credit Josh James / WUKY
/
WUKY

According to a Courier Journalreport, more than 6,600 Fayette County absentee votes in this year's primary election were rejected due to various issues - unsealed envelopes, ballots missing an inner flap, and other problems.

What's new for the general election is a more standardized ballot curing process, where county clerks alert voters to signature problems on their ballots and offer instructions on how to correct them and get their votes counted.

"I think we're looking at multiple avenues of both notification and process that will quickly and effectively notify the voter of any ballot irregularities and give them access to cure that process," Kentucky Board of Elections executive director Jared Dearing told the board this month.

Secretary of State Michael Adams says county clerks will be required to contact voters who have submitted ballots without signatures or with mismatched signatures up to Nov. 9.

Kentucky is allowing mail-in voting for anyone with concerns about COVID-19 during the general election.

Copyright 2020 WUKY

Josh James fell in love with college radio at Western Kentucky University's student station, New Rock 92 (now known as Revolution 91.7). After working as a DJ and Program Director, he knew he wanted to come home to Lexington and try his hand in public radio.