THE APEX TIMES
Clerk David Yates says his team is still tallying and validating thousands of write-in ballots even as some races may already have clear winners in Jefferson County.
Jefferson County Clerk David Yates said his office has been working to count and verify more than 23,000 write-in votes covering local races, underscoring that ballot counting has not fully ended even where some contests may already appear decided. The clerk’s office activity continues as election workers reconcile totals and ensure write-in ballots are properly handled under Kentucky election rules and procedures.
According to WAVE, the clerk’s team has tracked more than 23,000 write-in votes for all local races. The work involves maintaining the write-in totals while officials proceed with the broader canvass process, which can extend beyond Election Day when ballots require additional review, reporting, or validation.
Yates told WAVE that the pace of the county’s counting work depends on the set of votes submitted and how they must be processed. Write-in ballots generally require additional steps to confirm that the votes can be counted and that the entries meet the requirements for placement and identification of the intended candidate.
Election officials in Kentucky typically continue tabulating results after polls close, particularly when mail ballots and other categories of ballots are included in the count and when the canvass requires additional time for auditing and reconciliation. Write-in votes, because they must be reviewed for eligibility and correct candidate identification, can be part of the segment of results that keeps counting ongoing for longer than some races.
WAVE reported that while there might be a clear winner for most races in Jefferson County, the county clerk’s office still has work to do before final totals are fully reflected across all local contests. The continued tallying of write-in votes is part of maintaining an accurate and complete official record for the election.
For voters, the practical effect is that some local race outcomes may be affected by late-emerging write-in tallies as counting progresses. The clerk’s office said it is continuing its process to ensure those thousands of write-in ballots are counted and reflected appropriately before results are finalized for public reporting and certification.