Elections Information

Voter Registration

The deadline to change your political party affiliation and be eligible to vote in the 2024 Primary Election is December 31, 2023. If you change your party affiliation after December 31, 2023, you will only be eligible to vote in non-partisan races in the Primary Election held on May 21, 2024. The deadline for new registrations, address changes or name changes must be made no later than April 22, 2024. To make changes or inquire about your voter registration please contact the County Clerk’s office at 606-337-6143.

2024 Candidate Filing

Any registered voter interested in running for office can pick up filing papers at the Bell County Clerk’s office in Pineville (Old Courthouse). The
following races is up for re-election:

Circuit Clerk (must receive a certificate of examination), Commonwealth Attorney,
City Council, State Representative, School Board and Soil and Water Conservation
District Supervisors.

The filing deadline for Circuit Clerk, Commonwealth Attorney and City Council is Friday, January 5, 2024.

The filing deadline for School Board and Soil and Water Conservation District
Supervisors is Tuesday, June 4, 2024.

For State Representative filing information please contact the Kentucky Secretary of State at 502-564-3490.

All completed filing papers must be returned and filed in the Pineville Office
by the filing deadline listed above. If you have any questions, please contact the
Clerk’s Office at 606-337-6143 (Debbie or Kayla).

Last day to register for Primary Election: April 22 at 4:00PM
Residents may register to vote if they meet the following requirements:

• You must be a U. S. citizen and a Kentucky resident for at least 28 days.
• You must be 18 years of age by the date of the next General Election which is held on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November.
• You are eligible to register and vote in the May primary election if you will be 18 before the General Election, but not eligible to vote in
  Special Elections.
• You cannot be a convicted felon. If you have been convicted of a felony, you must have your civil rights restored before registering.
• You must not have been judged mentally incompetent in a court of law.
• You must not claim the right to vote outside the State of Kentucky.

If you meet the above requirements, you may register to vote by completing a voter registration card and submitting it to the County Clerk’s Office. You may contact the Clerks’ Office and have a card mailed to you or you may download a copy from the State Board of Elections website.

Each voter must designate a party affiliation in order to register to vote. Party designations accepted in Kentucky are Democrat, Republican or Other. Since Kentucky conducts Closed Party Primaries, you must be registered as a Democrat or Republican to vote in that party’s Primary Election. If you are registered as “Other”, you are eligible to vote for only nonpartisan offices (Judicial, City Commission, School Board) in any Primary Election. You may vote for any candidate in all General Elections.

Note: You may change your political party affiliation at any time after the May Primary but before December 31st to remain eligible to vote in the following Primary Election.

Other places where voter related cards or forms are available are:

• Circuit Clerk’s Office (Drivers Licensing) -When applying for or renewing a driver’s license, these actions will generate cards or applications that update a voter’s registration.
• KTAP (Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program), Food Stamps, WIC, Medicaid recipients through these agencies.
• Armed Forces Recruitment Offices, if you are a prospective member of Armed Forces.
• High School students may register at school.
• Federal mail-in registration form.
• Voter registration or changes must be made no later than 28 days prior to each election.

After your registration is processed, you will receive a notification listing your address and the location of your polling place.

There are four ways for Kentucky voters to cast their ballot:

Mail-In Absentee Ballot – April 6 – May 7, 2024
Saturday, April 6 – Online mail-in absentee request portal to open
(45 days before the election).
Tuesday, May 7 – online mail-in absentee request portal to close
(14 days before the election) at 11:59PM

Dropbox location for Mail-In Absentee Ballot voting:

Bell County Clerk’s Office – Pineville
Bell County Courthouse (Old Courthouse)
101 Courthouse Square,
Pineville, KY

Bell County Clerk’s Office – Middlesboro Branch
1475 Highway 25E, Suite 4
Middlesboro, KY

Ballots for the May 2024 Primary may be returned by mail, or to the secure drop box located outside the Bell County Courthouse during normal business hours of 8:30AM-4:30PM, Monday-Friday. Ballots must be received in the clerk’s office by May 21, 2024 at 6:00PM.

In-Person Excuse Absentee – May 8-10 and 13-15, 2024, 8:30AM-4:30PM in County Clerk’s Office

Location for In-Person Excuse Absentee voting:

Bell County Clerk’s Office – Pineville
Bell County Courthouse (Old Courthouse)
101 Courthouse Square,
Pineville, KY

Bell County Clerk’s Office – Middlesboro Branch
1475 Highway 25E, Suite 4
Middlesboro, KY

In-Person No-Excuse Absentee – May 16-18, 2024, 8:30AM-4:30PM in County Clerk’s Office

Location for In-Person No-Excuse Absentee voting:

Bell County Clerk’s Office – Pineville
Bell County Courthouse (Old Courthouse)
101 Courthouse Square,
Pineville, KY

Middlesboro Community Center
30th Street
705 N Petersborough Avenue
Middlesboro, Ky. 40965

Election Day -Tuesday May 21, 2024. Polls open 6:00AM-6:00PM.  

To register to vote go to elect.ky.gov

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) created special provisions for absent uniformed services and overseas citizens to vote by mail in Primary, General, and Special elections for Federal Offices; and to allow these individuals to use a Federal write-in absentee ballot (FWAB) in the General Election for Federal Offices.
To learn if you qualify and more please visit: elect.ky.gov/

Mail-In Absentee April 6 – May 7, 2024
Ballots may be requested by:
govote.ky.gov or calling the Clerk’s Office at (606) 663-6444. Ballots may be returned by mail or brought to the Clerk’s Office and placed in the drop box located inside the Clerk’s Office.

In-Person Excused Absentee Voting May 8-10 and 13-15, 2024, 8:30AM-4:30PM in County Clerk’s Office
Eligibility Requirements for Excused Voting are:
•Student who resides temporarily outside of his/her county
• Voter or voters spouse who has surgery/hospitalization scheduled during Early Voting & Election Day
• Member of the armed forces or dependent
• KY Voter who is a uniformed service voter confined to a military base
• In last trimester of pregnancy
• Voter who temporarily resides outside the state but is still eligible to vote in KY
• Age, Disability or Illness
• Voter who is employed and scheduled to work/commute during all no excuse voting.

Locations for In-Person Excused Absentee Voting

Bell County Clerk’s Office – Pineville
Bell County Courthouse (Old Courthouse)
101 Courthouse Square,
Pineville, KY

Bell County Clerk’s Office – Middlesboro Branch
1475 Highway 25E, Suite 4
Middlesboro, KY

3 Day Early Voting
May 16-18, 2024, 8:30AM-4:30PM in County Clerk’s Office

Location for 3 Day Early voting

Bell County Clerk’s Office – Pineville
Bell County Courthouse (Old Courthouse)
101 Courthouse Square,
Pineville, KY

Middlesboro Community Center
30th Street
705 N Petersborough Avenue
Middlesboro, Ky. 40965

Election Day* Tuesday May 21, 2024. Polls open 6:00AM-6:00PM.

*Must vote at your regular Precinct Voting Locations

Precinct Voting Locations

MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT # 1

MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT # 2

MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT # 3

MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT # 4

MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT # 5