Murray Votes to Allow Packaged Alcohol

Murray voters passed packaged alcohol sales Tuesday by 53 percent in a special election.

The final tally came in before 7 p.m. Tuesday night at the Calloway County Clerk’s office. Close to 4,000 voters turned out to cast their ballot, out of an estimated 11,000 registered to vote in the city. County Clerk Ray Coursey said he is surprised by the number. He expected 6,000 people to vote. Most precincts matched the overall result, with only four voting no.

Coursey said the special election went smoothly.

“The biggest mechanical problem we had, we had a power cord that messed up in one of the precincts … so we went out, did what we had to do to replace the machine. It’s my understanding, the people who were in line, I don’t think there was anybody there at that time, but the people who were there got to vote and nobody walked away not being able to vote," he said.

Coursey added poll workers also made accommodations for a couple who felt uncomfortable voting in a polling place owned by a church. He says the workers brought the paper ballots out to the couple and took it back in to scan.

The last alcohol vote in Murray was in 2000, when voters chose to allow liquor by the drink.

The secretary of state must certify the results. It takes 60 days after the vote for the measure to take effect.