Light turnout predicted for Boyd

CATLETTSBURG, Ky. -- Boyd County Clerk Debbie Jones is looking for a light turnout in Tuesday's primary election even with a presidential primary and Ashland mayor and commissioner races on the ballot.

A presidential primary will usually bring out a 20 to 25 percent voter turnout, but Jones said she is expecting 15 to 17 percent of voters to head to the polls from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday at 47 precincts. Nine of those precincts will be located at the KYOVA Mall on U.S. 60. Once again this election, voters can choose between two voting machines to cast ballots, she said.

Only about 500 people have voted absentee on a machine at the Boyd County Courthouse, an indication of a low voter turnout. "There seems to be little interest in the presidential race," Jones said. John McCain is the presumptive Republican nominee and Sen. Barack Obama widening his lead every day over Sen. Hillary Clinton while Kentucky is among only a handful of states remaining to cast ballots in the presidential primary.

Jim Terreo, a Bybee Road resident, isn't sure he'll be heading out to the mall to vote Tuesday. "I really don't like the choices for president," he said Friday. "I don't know who to vote for. I like John Edwards." Edwards has pulled out of the race and earlier this week endorsed Obama.

Democratic voters can vote for Clinton, Edwards, Obama or uncommitted in the primary while Republicans can vote for McCain or five other candidates for presidents or cast an uncommitted ballot.

In the race for U.S. Senate, Sen. Mitch McConnell has opposition in the Republican primary from Daniel Essek while eight candidates have filed for senator in the Democratic primary including Bruce Lunsford, James E. Rice, Kenneth Stepp, David L. Williams, David Wylie, Michael Cassaro, Greg Fisher and Andrew Horne. Polls show Lunsford and Fisher as the two candidates with the most support.

In the race for Congress, U.S. Rep. Geoff Davis has Republican opposition in the primary from G.E. Puckett and Warren O. Stone. No Democrats filed for the 4th Congressional District seat in the House of Representatives, which includes Boyd County.

Three Democrats have filed for state House form the 100th District, which includes northern Boyd County. But C. Cyrus "Cy" Reynolds, has withdrawn since he doesn't live in the district. Any votes for him won't be counted. Kevin P. Sinnette and Bobby Jack Woods also have filed as Democratic candidates. The winner will face Mike Stewart who is unopposed in the Republican primary.

In the non-partisan race for mayor of Ashland, four names are on the ballot, but votes for Mayor Steve Gilmore won't be counted since he has withdrawn and will take over as Ashland's superintendent of schools on July 1. City Commissioner Paula Hogsten, former Police Chief Tom Kelley and David N. Madden also are on the ballot and the top two will advance to the general election this fall.

Ten candidates have filed for city commissioner in Ashland and eight of them will advance to the general election. The candidates are: City Commissioners Kevin Gunderson, Larry D. Brown and Cheryl Wooten Spriggs, Estill Eugene Mills, James W. King, Leo J. Ranjo Jr., Donald R. Maxwell, Marty Gute and James L. Moore.