The Hardin County Election Board met Monday morning to discuss a special election and the upcoming primary election.
The board approved the proposed plan from Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith for a special election to fill the Kentucky House of Representatives District 26 seat vacated by Russell Webber. That district covers the western half of Bullitt County and three precincts in northern Hardin County: West Point, Fort Knox 26, and Radcliff Southeast. The term runs through the end of this year.
Smith said the new clerk’s office location at the former Nolin RECC office in Radcliff should be approved for absentee and early voting, while polling locations for election day are still being lined up. Smith said even with the special election only being for one seat the county has the same duties and responsibilities as any other election.
“We know these are always low turnout, but we can’t treat it like it’s not a real election,” Smith said. “We can’t treat it like it’s a play election. It’s the real thing.”
The special election will be held Tuesday, March 19. Candidates will be nominated by the respective political parties.
The board also approved Smith’s plan for the May 21 primary election. Smith said with 2024 being a presidential election a higher turnout is expected, but the plan already fits in with his goal of adding more polling locations, which people responded well to in 2023.
“One of the things people like is yes, there was a line, but the line moved quickly,” Smith said. “There were a couple of times we had to make some adjustments during the day. We had to send an extra piece of equipment to one location, etc., but ultimately this plan is a blend of that. It adds more locations and then it beefs up our existing locations so that we can get people through the line quickly.”
Smith’s plan would increase the polling locations on election day from 12 to 15, and would add the former East Hardin building in Glendale as an early voting location.
Visit the clerk’s office’s website for more election information.
