by Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams:
Voters will head to the polls in less than 4 months to vote in the 2023 primary election for governor, secretary of state, and other constitutional offices. As my team has prepared, we have looked to lessons learned from the November 2022 elections. First and foremost, the midterms showed that early voting works. At my urging, in 2021 the General Assembly acted in bipartisan fashion to enact it, and over a quarter million Kentuckians took advantage of it in the general election. The turnout correlated with the partisan affiliation of our voters – Republicans with a little less than 50%, then Democrats close behind, followed by Independents. Early voting doesn’t favor a side; it just helps voters. It doesn’t just help voters who vote early. It also helps the voters who don’t. While some counties saw long lines on election day, they would have been even longer if voters had not already had three days to vote. The solution to long lines on election day is not to add more voting days: More than four times as many voters voted on Tuesday, November 8th, as voted in the 3 early voting days combined. In order to reduce lines, we need more voting locations, not more voting days. There are a few ways to accomplish this. One would be to do what was done in 2020, via emergency powers granted by the Legislature: granting counties the flexibility to consolidate voting locations, but only with approval of the governor and secretary of state. It’s important that someone who is accountable to voters be able to review and approve a local election plan that reduces voting locations. An alternative approach to fixing this problem would be to develop a statutory formula to set a floor for how many voting locations a county needs. Finally, election funding allocated to counties should be aligned not with how many precincts they have on paper, but how many polls they actually open. Another way to improve the voter experience is by closing the loophole that allows electioneering at the polls during early voting. Current law only prohibits electioneering at the polls on the six days of excused in-person absentee voting, and on election day, but not on the three days of no-excuse early voting. We can improve the recount process by closing a loophole that allows candidates to request recounts even when they lose by a landslide. In 2021, lawmakers worked in a bipartisan fashion to only allow recanvasses if the requesting candidate lost by one percent. The same threshold should apply to recounts, which are far more taxing on our election officials. We have a separate law that permits an election challenge upon an allegation of fraud, corruption, or even an administrative error, and any person with evidence will not lost the right to contest an election; but, the frivolous lawsuits by people who lack evidence of fraud, corruption, or administrative error, and lose by a wide margin, must be stopped – this harassment is contributing to attrition among county clerks, and we need experienced professionals in these offices. Although none of these changes is major, they are all important to ensuring our next election runs as smoothly as possible.
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Dear Editor,
It’s that time of year! The Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) opens Oct 1, 2022 for those wanting to attend college in the fall of 2023! This year we will be having a FAFSA Day November 1 in the library with KHEAA Outreach Counselor Mackenzie Massey during the school day. Virtual students wishing to come in that day will need to check in at the front office. We will have an evening session in the school library from 5:30 to 7:30. Due to spacing and privacy a sign up sheet will be available in their “College Coach Classroom.” If a parent/guardian or student would like to make an appointment before or after November 1 (including during fall break) or you have questions about the FAFSA please contact carmon.hughes@edmonson.kyschools.us or 270-597-2151. AmeriCorps is a federally funded community service organization. AmeriCorps members may serve four years. The Kentucky College Coaches Program is one of over 20 programs in Kentucky. There are approximately 40 high schools/ATCs in Kentucky that have an AmeriCorps Kentucky College Program. For more information about the program you may visit: https://kycompact.org/ And the ECHS KCC website: https://sites.google.com/edmonson.kyschools.us/echskcc/home Please follow ECHS KCC on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! In service, Carmon Hughes ECHS Americorps Kentucky College Coach/KCC Ambassador To the Editor:
Last week, our family experienced a devastating fire. We are so thankful to the volunteer firefighters from all over the county (and the 911 dispatchers) who repeatedly responded to our calls for help throughout the night and the following day as the blaze reignited. Their multiple acts of kindness went above and beyond the call of duty. We will be forever in your debt. God bless you all. Sincerely, Shirley Bush You may submit letters to the editor that adhere to the following: We reserve the right to edit any letter for clarity, punctuation, and grammar. You must include your full name and community when submitting. Anonymous letters will not be published, no exceptions. For the full list of requirements, please read in our professional policy by clicking here. Darren Doyle, Founder, Director: There are a number of reasons that the Edmonson Voice is the leading source for local news and information in our county; one of those reasons is that we concentrate heavily on just local information, and we do our best to keep our opinions out of our platform. With that being said, my office receives multiple calls and messages on a regular basis from local residents that complain about two major issues: internet service and the trash pickup service we are forced to use, provided by Waste Connections (also still known to some as Scott Waste). This past Monday at an Edmonson County Fiscal Court meeting, Judge Executive Wil Cannon summarized the many complaints his office had received over the last few months that were directed at Waste Connections. Also, a few residents in attendance brought up additional issues. Mr. Pete Reckard, a rep for Waste Connections, gave several excuses and a few apologies as responses to those issues. As a response to those many complaints that we also receive, and from my own experience as a Waste Connections "customer" and tax payer, I'd like to write this open letter to Waste Connections, the same as anyone else might submit a letter to the editor. It seems like I never get to share my opinion publicly, so here it is, in open letter form. Dear Waste Connections, Dear Editor,
ECHS AmeriCorps Kentucky Colleges Coaches program is geared up for another great year! We still have limited space for 9th-12th grade first generation students (students whose parents do not have a FOUR year degree) that may qualify for free/reduced lunches. On Oct 1, 2021 the FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid) opens up for those who are planning on attending college during the 22-23 school year. All high school seniors are encouraged to fill out the FAFSA even if they are not one hundred percent sure they will be going to college. Most colleges require the FAFSA for admission. Filling out the FAFSA may also qualify students for scholarships. We are hoping to see an increase in FAFSA completion statewide this year. KHEAA (Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority) offers a guide to help with FAFSA completion (https://www.kheaa.com/pdf/pubs/FAFSA_Completion_Guide.pdf?main=1) as well as many other tips and information about preparing and paying for college. ECHS KCC will offer a Family FAFSA Night October 21 from 5-7 in the school library for families wanting help filling out the application. November 4th will be College Application Day. Area college admission counselors will be in the library to assist ECHS (in person or virtual) students in filling out college applications. More information will be posted on their Google Classrooms. For more information about the FAFSA, college and career information, or the Kentucky College Coaches’ Program feel free to contact Carmon Hughes at carmon.hughes@edmonson.kyschools.us or call 270-597-2151. In Service, Carmon Hughes ECHS Americorps Kentucky College Coach |
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