Ayers, Skyles discuss election

BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — Martin County Board of Elections members James Ayers and Susie Skyles shared important updates on voter identification requirements, absentee voting and key deadlines during a recent Kiwanis Club luncheon at Giovanni’s in Inez.

As has become their tradition leading up to elections, Ayers and Skyles used the gathering to explain what local voters need to know before the upcoming Primary.

“The big one is the voter ID requirement,” Ayers said. “This is the first year that it will be very strictly enforced. It passed with Senate Bill 2 in 2020. It has been phased in very slowly, and now it is required.”

Ayers said Kentucky is among the stricter states regarding voter identification.

“Anyone who is voting must have proof of identification,” he said.

He explained that acceptable identification generally means a document issued by the state of Kentucky that includes the voter’s name and photograph, such as a driver’s license or state-issued ID card. The ID may be expired as long as it still includes the voter’s name and photo.

Other acceptable forms of identification include school-issued student IDs and military IDs that include a photograph.

Ayers said there are limited exceptions for voters who cannot obtain a photo ID, including those with a religious objection to being photographed. In those cases, he said, the voter may be required to sign a Voter Affirmation Form provided by the state.

Voters claiming an exemption must still present some form of identification.

“They still have to have something,” Ayers said. “They can’t just show up and say, ‘I’m John Doe,’ without some kind of identifying document.”

Alternative forms of identification that may qualify for the Voter Affirmation Form include a Social Security card, certain county-issued IDs approved by the State Board of Elections, an ID card showing the voter’s name and photograph, a Kentucky-issued SNAP, Medicaid or electronic benefits transfer card, or even a credit or debit card displaying the voter’s name.

Skyles said she is especially concerned about elderly residents who do not drive and may not yet have a photo ID.

Kiwanis member Pam Ward asked about the possibility of vote “harvesting” in nursing homes. However, Kentucky does not use supervised absentee voting in long-term care facilities. Residents of nursing homes may apply for absentee ballots and complete them through the standard absentee process.

Ayers said the Martin County Board of Elections meets in the County Clerk’s Office at 8 a.m. on Election Day to review absentee ballot signatures and ensure ballots are in proper order.

The discussion also touched on concerns about voting machine security.

On the topic of “rigging” voting machines, Skyles said it would be impossible for the local board to alter a machine.

“You would have to have people all the way up the ladder to assist you,” she said. “We don’t touch the inside.”

Ayers agreed, saying it would take the entire clerk’s office, the Board of Elections, election officers and the vendor that sets up the machines to manipulate a vote in Martin County.

In closing, Ayers noted that this year’s election is unusual because the U.S. Senate race is open with Sen. Mitch McConnell’s retirement.

“The last time that happened was 2010 when Senator Bunning retired,” Ayers said. “The time before that was 1998, when Wendell Ford retired, and Bunning ran for his spot. This specific Senate seat hasn’t been open since the 1960s. They don’t move out of those very often.”

He also reviewed Martin County’s turnout history and urged voters to participate.

According to Ayers, 56% of Martin County voters turned out in the 1998 primary, which coincided with a county election. In 2010, turnout reached 51% during another county election cycle. The last county election saw 32% turnout in the Primary.

By contrast, he said, only 12.1% of Martin County voters participated in last year’s presidential Primary.

“We’ve shown that we can get out and vote,” Ayers said. “If you look at some of the general elections for president, it will approach 50%. Then, the next year, we will fall off in the state constitutional races. In ’23, when Cameron and Beshear were running against each other, it was 10%. I think that’s rounded up. I think it was 9.9 or something. In 120 counties in that cycle, we had the lowest voter turnout, which is obviously not good.”

Action is already underway for the upcoming Primary as the online mail-in absentee ballot request portal opened April 4 and will remain open until 11:59 p.m. May 5. The last day to register to vote in the Primary is April 20 at 4 p.m. local time. The clerk’s office can accept registration returns until the close of business that day.

Excused in-person absentee voting will be available May 6, 7, 8, 11, 12 and 13 in the county clerk’s office. In-person no-excuse absentee voting will be available May 14, 15 and 16 in the clerk’s office.

Primary Election Day is May 19. The clerk must receive all ail-in absentee ballots before 6 p.m. local time that day.