CORBIN — By Jeff Noble, Staff Writer

Election Day is 27 days away, but already thousands of Kentucky voters are casting their ballots. That includes hundreds of those in the Tri-County region who are absentee voting in the Nov. 6 General Election.

In Whitley County, absentee voting began Monday, and will continue at the county clerk’s offices in Williamsburg and Corbin until the day before the election, Monday, Nov. 5.

“We’ve had over 100 absentee ballots mailed out for November’s election,” said Whitley County Clerk Kay Schwartz Wednesday afternoon.

She added that some absentee voters go out-of-town on Election Day, and if they need to vote, they’re reminded that they must come to her office and vote before they leave.

In Williamsburg, absentee voting hours at the county clerk’s office in the courthouse are Monday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Tuesday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In Corbin, the hours for absentee voting at the county clerk’s office in Corbin City Hall are Monday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Schwartz pointed out that persons who are disabled who need an absentee ballot can call her office, as well as anyone else who has questions about absentee voting. That number is 549-6002.

In Knox County, County Court Clerk Mike Corey reported paper absentee voting is now underway. His office will allow absentee voting by machine, beginning Friday, Oct. 19.

“As of today, we’ve had 121 absentee paper ballots,” Corey said Wednesday.

Unlike Whitley County, absentee voting in Knox County can only be done at the county clerk’s office at the courthouse in Barbourville. The absentee voting hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

If anyone has a question or needs more information on absentee voting in Knox County, Corey noted they can call the Barbourville office at 546-3568, or the Corbin office at 258-8430.

“I’d rather them call us now about a question than to call on Election Day,” he said.

Laurel County’s absentee activity has been brisk, according to County Court Clerk Dean Johnson.

“We’ve mailed out 394 absentee ballots and we’ve had 133 persons who’ve voted absentee on the machines, as of today,” Johnson said Wednesday afternoon.

Absentee voting hours at the county clerk’s office in the courthouse in London are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.

Johnson said if anyone has questions or needs information on absentee voting, they can call his office at 864-5158, or toll-free at 1-800-637-7470.

According to Kentucky Secretary of State Allison Lundergan Grimes’ Office in Frankfort, voters who are eligible to vote absentee in the November election include military personnel, their dependents and overseas citizens, students who temporarily reside outside the county, other voters who temporarily reside outside of Kentucky (referred to as “snowbirds”), voters who are incarcerated but have not yet been convicted, voters whose employment takes them outside the county during all hours the polling place is open, voters who will be out of the county on Election Day, Military personnel confined to base who learn of that confinement within seven days or less of the election, voters and spouses of voters who have surgery scheduled that will require hospitalization on Election Day, pregnant women in their third trimester, precinct election officers, and voters of advanced age or who suffer from disability or illness.

If you have questions about absentee voting, you can contact your county clerk, the State Board of Elections, or go to this website: www.elect.ky.gov.

Election Day Notes

—Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

—If you have questions about where you’ll vote, what’s required when you vote, or need absentee voting information, you can visit the Secretary of State’s website at www.sos.ky.gov.

—The Kentucky Commission on Human Rights will have a voting day assistance telephone staffed on Election Day for people who believe they are being denied equal access or equal opportunity, as it pertains to the Kentucky Civil Rights Act, at a voting location. You can contact the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights at 1-800-292-5566, or TDD (502) 595-4084.