Voters across the commonwealth headed to the polls Tuesday for the 2024 Kentucky Primary Election.
Joe Biden won the Democratic presidential primary with 131,439 votes, getting 71 percent. Donald Trump won the Republican presidential primary with 214,932 votes, getting 85 percent.
In contested races in the area, Hank Linderman (12,508) beat William Compton (9,303) in the Kentucky House District 2 Democratic primary with 57 percent. Stephen Meredith (5,973) won the Kentucky State Senate 5th District Republican primary against Thomas Ballinger (2,344) with 72 percent. Josh Calloway (2,773) beat Julie Cantwell (738) in the State Representative 10th District Republican primary with 79 percent. Ryan Bivens (2,636) defeated Asa Waggoner (878) in the State Representative 24th District Republican primary with 75 percent. Thomas Huff (1,955) won the State Representative 49tyh District Republican primary against William Harned (647) with 75 percent. Amanda Troutman (2,998) won the Commonwealth’s Attorney 55th Judicial Circuit Republican primary in Bullitt County over Nathan Batey (1,379) with 68 percent.
The state voter turnout was reported at 12.7 percent, down significantly from the 31.1 percent turnout seen in the 2020 primary. Turnout percentages for the area were:
-Nelson County: 15.7 percent
-Breckinridge County: 15.4 percent
-Hart County: 13.8 percent
-Grayson County: 13.5 percent
-LaRue County: 13.2 percent
-Meade County: 11.3 percent
-Bullitt County: 9.9 percent
-Hardin County: 9 percent
Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith said he would have liked to have seen a larger turnout, but he was pleased with operations.
“Everything ran smoothly,” Smith said. “Our poll workers, I’m extremely proud of them. They have been working since well before sunup. Our local board of elections has as well, and I can say everything went as smooth as you could expect for an election.”
Breckinridge County Clerk Jared Butler was also pleased with his team’s efforts after a relatively quiet day.
“It’s been a pretty slow day, which was expected, but it’s been a very good day,” Butler said. “We’ve had very few issues and it’s been smooth so far.”
The deadline to register to vote in the general election is Monday, October 7. Election Day is Tuesday, November 5. Voter registration information is available at your county clerk’s office or by visiting govote.ky.gov.
