General Election On Nov. 5: Who’s Running And Where To Vote
Robert Moore
Herald Staff
[email protected]
Here’s a look at what’s on the ballot for the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
As for the presidential race, unless you’ve just emerged from 500 years of suspended animation, everyone knows former Republican president Donald Trump and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance are running against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be the next President and Vice-President of the United States of America. Also on the presidential slate are candidates Jill Stein and Samson Kpadenou of the Kentucky Party; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Nicole Shanahan and Shiva Ayyadurai and Crystal Ellis, who are running as Independents; and Chase Oliver and Mike Ter Maat, who are running for the Libertarian Party.
In the race for the U.S. Representative for the 6th Congressional District, which includes Mercer County, the Republican incumbent, Rep. Andy Barr, is facing Democratic challenger Randy Cravens.
In the race for the 55th Representative District, which includes Mercer County, the Republican incumbent, Rep. Kim King, is facing Democratic challenger Katrina A. Sexton.
There are also two constitutional amendments. The first is asking if voters are in favor of amending Sections 145 and 155 of the state constitution to prohibit persons who are not citizens of the United States from voting in Kentucky. If amended, Section 145 would read: “Every citizen of the United States of the age of eighteen years who has resided in the state one year, and in the county six months, and the precinct in which he or she offers to vote sixty days next preceding the election, shall be a voter in said precinct and not elsewhere. No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be allowed to vote in this state. The following persons also shall not have the right to vote:
“1. Persons convicted in any court of competent jurisdiction of treason, or felony, or bribery in an election, or of such high misdemeanor as the General Assembly may declare shall operate as an exclusion from the right of suffrage, but persons hereby excluded may be restored to their civil rights by executive pardon.
“2. Persons who, at the time of the election, are in confinement under the judgment of a court for some penal offense.
“3. Idiots and insane persons.”
If amended, Section 155 of the constitution would read:
“The provisions of Sections 145 to 154, inclusive, shall not apply to the election of school trustees and other common school district elections. Said elections shall be regulated by the General Assembly, except as otherwise provided in this Constitution. No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be allowed to vote in said elections.”
The second constitutional amendment would enable the General Assembly to provide financial support for the education costs of students in kindergarten through 12th grade who are outside the system of public schools.
Local Races
Mercer County voters will also asked if they are in favor of the sale of medical cannabis at a local dispensary and the operation of other cannabis businesses in Mercer County.
Six people are vying for the four seats on the Harrodsburg City Commission. In addition to incumbents Missy Wilham Banks, Charlie Mattingly, Kerry Anness and Marvin “Bubby” Isham, Brian D. Steele and Jack L. Coleman, a former city commissioner, are running.
Until recently, only five candidates were running for the six seats on the Burgin City Council: incumbents Melinda Wofford, Jamie Keebortz, Sindicat “Sid” Dunn and Sarah Moran, who has not served on the council before. They have been joined by three write-in candidates, including two who are already familiar with Burgin voters: former mayor and city councilman George Hensley, who filed to run as a write-in candidate on Sept. 4, and former mayor and Burgin police chief Jim Caldwell, who who filed to run as a write-in candidate on Sept. 10. In addition, Timothy Dollar filed to run as a write-in candidate on Sept. 13.
Four members of the Mercer County Board of Education—Amber Franceschi, Amy Hart, Randy Phillips and Cliff Prewitt—are running unopposed.
In the Burgin Independent School District race, Kathryn Hendershot and Bryan Vandiviere are on the ballot with incumbents Ben Bradshaw and Keith Monson.
Candidate Forums
Find out more about the candidates at the two General Election Political Candidate Forums in October.
On Monday Oct. 21, at 7 p.m., candidates for Harrodsburg City Council and State Representative for the 55th District have been invited to the Mercer County Senior High School Auditorium (1124 Moberly Road) to introduce themselves and answer six questions from voters and senior students from Burgin and Mercer County.
On Tuesday Oct. 22, at 7 p.m., candidates for Burgin City Council and Burgin Independent School District will be invited to Burgin School (400 East Main Street) to do the same.
Citizens may attend in person or listen to Hometown Radio WHBN at 1420 AM or 99.5 FM, or on Facebook. You are encouraged to submit questions for consideration to the Mercer County Democrat Party Representative Peter Taylor at [email protected] or to the Republican Party Representative John Holiday at [email protected] no later than Tuesday, Oct. 12.
Sponsors are the Mercer Democrat and Republican Parties, the Harrodsburg Herald and Hometown Radio WHBN 1420 AM and 99.5 FM.
File image of the ballot collection vote at the Mercer County Fiscal Courthouse.
Polling Locations
There is only one drop box for mail ballots. It’s located at the Mercer County Fiscal Courthouse (207 West Lexington Street). The hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Excused in-person absentee ballots can be left at the drop box starting Wednesday, Oct. 23 through Wednesday, Oct. 30.
In-person no-excuse absentee ballots can be cast on Thursday, Oct. 31; Friday, Nov. 1; and Saturday, Nov. 2.
Here is a list of the election day polling locations that will be open Tuesday, Nov. 5.
• National Guard Armory (500 Tapp Road) for precincts A101 and D102.
• Dixville Fire Department (2470 New Dixville Road) for precincts A102.
• Barry Vandivier Center (176 Bruners Chapel Road) for precinct A103.
• Cornishville Fire Department (9725 Cornishville Road) for precinct A104.
• Terrapin Fire Station (2640 Talmage Mayo Road, Salvisa) for precinct C101.
• Salvisa Baptist Church Christian Life Center Building 3 (138 Kirkwood Road, Salvisa) for precinct C102.
• White Precinct Building At Bohon (2224 Bohon Road) for precinct C104.
• Terrapin Fire Station (2640 Talmage Mayo Road, Salvisa) for precinct C105.
• McAfee Fire Station (2805 Louisville Road) for precinct D101.
• Burgin Baptist Church (433 East Main Street, Burgin) for precincts E101 and E102.
• Lions Park Building (450 East Factory Street) for precincts D103, F101, F102 and G102.
Voter registration ended Monday, Oct. 7. For more information, visit vrsws.sos.ky.gov.
