County Clerk's Office Clarifies Voter Registration Questions, Issues

Many Unaware Voter Registration Only Required Once

Darren Doyle, story:
Registering to vote is the first official step taken in utilizing one's privilege to let a voice be heard in American elections; however, many don't understand that it only has to been done one time, according to the Edmonson County Clerk's office.

A few weeks ago, County Clerk Kevin Alexander spoke at a fiscal court meeting about how the state online voting registration system had been bombarded with requests from those trying to register to vote when they were already registered. The Edmonson Voice mentioned this in a fiscal court recap article that day; however, the clerk's office said there is still some confusion as to how voter registration works, thanks to some unclear ads that are floating around social media.

"There were several ad campaigns through Facebook, Instagram, and other social media apps that were encouraging people to register to vote," said Jason Alexander, Deputy Clerk. "Some of the ads apparently made it sound as if you couldn't vote in the upcoming election if you didn't immediately register. While you obviously have to be a registered voter in order to participate in the election process, you only have to do this once. If you've ever registered to vote and have voted in an election, you'll never have to register again."

Alexander said the state online system for voter registration crashed several times as a result of these ad campaigns. 

"We will always encourage everyone to vote, but you only have to register one time."

He also said that anyone can visit the state election board website to not only discover whether or not they're a registered voter, but also information about voting precincts and poll locations.

"You can also call our office if you have any questions about voter registration or the upcoming election, which is Tuesday, November 6th," said Alexander. "We're currently in the process of our absentee voting as well. The deadline for a mail-in ballot is October 30th, but we recommend doing that sooner if you choose that option to avoid any last-minute problems."

You can view the general election ballot by clicking here, as published earlier in the Edmonson Voice.