Governor Andy Beshear is asking Secretary of State Michael Adams to allow mail-in voting in the November election after historic turnout in the June 23 primary election.
Beshear and Adams jointly agreed to “no-excuse” absentee ballots for all Kentuckians during the primary, after Beshear used emergency powers granted by the state Constitution to move the primary from May to June. The governor said fraud risks with mail-in voting are minimal, and the practice should be employed in future elections.
“We need no-excuse absentee voting. That is necessary when you have a worldwide health pandemic out there,” Beshear said.
First Lady Britainy Beshear addressed the administration’s coronavirus briefing to spread awareness on a new initiative to provide face coverings to low income students in Kentucky schools. The “Coverings for Kids” program is collecting mask donations throughout the commonwealth to ease the potential financial burden on families. First Lady Beshear encouraged potential donors to visit individual district websites for information on where to send face coverings.
Governor Beshear reported 700 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, bringing the statewide total to 32,197. Kentucky’s positivity rate is up slightly to 5.24%. The number of Kentuckians hospitalized with the coronavirus is 638, with 135 battling the virus in the commonwealth’s intensive care units.
The state reported seven new deaths Tuesday including a 70-year-old man in Daviess County and a 53-year-old man from Calloway County. The statewide death toll is 751.
Find more information concerning Kentucky’s response to the coronavirus here.
