Jefferson County's plan for state Senate special election rejected over lack of locations

Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, Louisville Courier Journal
·3 min read

The Kentucky Board of Elections has rejected the plan presented by the Jefferson County Board of Elections that included voting locations for the upcoming race to fill the Kentucky Senate's open seat.

The plan intended to open four polling locations — two inside Kentucky Senate District 19, where the vacant seat is located, and two outside of the district — for the special election to pick the person who will replace Morgan McGarvey, who was elected late last year to succeed John Yarmuth in the U.S. House of Representatives. The election is set for Feb. 21.

Secretary of State Michael Adams told The Courier Journal on Wednesday, a day after the plan was turned down, that four locations is not enough to cover a race that includes a voter population of nearly 100,00 people – "especially in a place like the Highlands, where people were pretty motivated and upwardly mobile and they vote."

Bobbie Holsclaw, clerk of the Jefferson County Board of Elections, told state Board of Elections members at a Tuesday meeting that the local board did not have much time to come up with a plan and had struggled to find enough locations that meet Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility standards.

Related:Who will replace Morgan McGarvey? What to know about special election

While the plan was turned down, Adams said the election will not be postponed and will still take place on its scheduled date next month. He said he plans to meet with Jefferson County Public Schools Principal Marty Pollio on Friday to continue ongoing discussions about local schools that could be used as voting locations. He hopes to have a new plan to put forward for approval by Monday or Tuesday.

At Tuesday's meeting, Holsclaw said Pollio had previously raised concerns that schools would have to shut down for a week if they were used as polling locations due to early voting.

The Jefferson County Board of Elections does not have a deadline to submit an amended proposal, but Adams said a plan needs to be in place as soon as possible. He said the board did not have a problem with the four locations that were proposed, but more are needed. November's general election had 40 polling places, and while the upcoming special election likely won't bring out as many voters, Adams contended it's "not realistic" to have so few locations.

The four locations that are currently set to open Feb. 21 for the special election and for in-person no-excuse absentee voting (between Feb. 16 and Feb. 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) are:

  • The Arterburn - 310 Ten Pin Lane

  • Jefferson County Central Government Center - 7201 Outer Loop

  • Cyril Allgeier Community Center - 4101 Cadillac Court

  • Jefferson County Clerk Election Center - 1000 E. Liberty St.

Cassie Chambers Armstrong, the Democrat candidate for the open Kentucky Senate seat, said she was pleased the plan was not approved because "voting is a fundamental right, and our democracy works better when elections are free, fair, and accessible to all."

Armstrong is running against Republican candidate Misty Glin, a former school board candidate.

Adams said this situation shows the need for legislation that prohibits the clerks from overconsolidating the number of polling locations, which he said had been an issue in a few counties that did not have enough polling locations in the November election.

The Jefferson County Board of Elections did not immediately respond to a call and email seeking comment.

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Joe Sonka contributed to this article. Reach Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez at abrinez@gannett.com; follow her on Twitter at @SoyAnaAlvarez

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Adams: Kentucky Senate special election needs more polling locations