TextMyGov is a convenient and smart text messaging service that will enable residents to effortlessly receive important election notifications and easily find specific information regarding elections. The Pulaski County Clerk's office will officially launch the new text messaging system to the public on Friday, September 20th. Residents may receive a text message from 91896 — from the clerk's office — initiating the service. You can choose to opt-out at any time by texting STOP.
"This service, TextMyGov, will provide up-to-the minute voting information for the entire Pulaski County area," stated Pulaski County Courthouse Branch Manager Samantha Owens. "You simply text to the number 91896 with the text message 'Pulaski Votes', and you are set up to start receiving local voting information messages. There is also a QR code to scan to make the simple process even easier.
Both Owens and County Clerk Tim Price expect a big turnout in the upcoming Presidential election and they both feel the TextMyGov text alert system will help with the communication and logistics of a large voter turnout.
"We are expecting this year to probably be one of the biggest elections for our office," Owens stated. "it's up to the clerk's office to make sure we inform the residents of voting information. This is just one way to be able to get out the information."
"Not everybody has computers. Not everybody does social media, but most everyone has a cell phone," she stated. "So this is one way that they can be looped in to get all the information."
According to Owens, nearly 11,000 Pulaski Countians will be opted in and contacted via a text to their smart phone on September 20th.
"The ones that are automatically opted in, if they don't want to be included they can simply opt out," Owens stated. "After that, we'll be sending out notifications regarding early voting. We're trying to push early voting here just because it is going to be a huge election and try to save on the long lines on election day."
The TextMyGov text alert is strictly for election notifications, and it will only be used prior to upcoming elections and on election day. Owens emphasized that the app could be used to give up-to-the-minute updates on election day.
"This was designed to allow voters to stay in the know of what's taking place on the elections," Owens said. "If for some reason we had an outage at one of the polling places, this service would allow us to communicate any necessary changes or updates."
The election day updates could range from warning voters if a voting location is out of power or if one of the locations is overcrowded and give suggestions of alternate less-crowded locations to vote.
Price wanted the residents to know that there are now nine voting centers in Pulaski County and voters can go to any one of them to cast their votes.
"There are nine voting centers now, and that's something we're trying to get people used to is the voting centers versus the many precincts we use to have," Price stated. "We went from 56 precincts to nine voting centers, and that just simply means you can vote at any place.
"Voters used to be confined to one precinct, and now the good thing about this is you're no longer confined to one particular location to vote," he said. "You can go vote at any of those places. Early voting, we have four select places that you can go vote, and we will be putting those out on the text and things to keep people informed when they can start voting.
The nine voting locations on Election Day (Tuesday, November 5) will be at :
1. Hal Rogers Fire Training Center 180 Oak Leaf Lane Somerset
2. Rocky Hollow Recreation Center 142 S Central Avenue Somerset
3. South Kentucky RECC Community Room 200 Electric Avenue Somerset
4. Nancy Elementary Gym 240 Hwy 196 Nancy
5. Science Hill School 6007 N Hwy 27 Science Hill
6. Old Shopville Gym 819 Mark Shopville Road Somerset
7. Oak Hill Baptist Gym 2135 Oak Hill Road Somerset
8. Jordan Christian Academy 145 Lakeshore Drive Burnside
9. Eubank Senior Citizens Center 510 W Hwy 70 Eubank
The four early-voting locations, which means 'ANY VOTER — ANY LOCATION — ANYTIME, will be open Thursday, October 31 and Friday, November 1 from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.:
1. Hal Rogers Fire Training Center 180 Oak Leaf Lane Somerset
2. Rock Hollow Recreation Center 142 S Central Avenue Somerset
3. South Kentucky RECC Community Room 200 Electric Avenue Somerset
On Saturday, November 2 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.:
1. Hal Rogers Fire Training Center 180 Oak Leaf Lane Somerset
2. Rock Hollow Recreation Center 142 S Central Avenue Somerset
3. South Kentucky RECC Community Room 200 Electric Avenue Somerset
4. Nancy Elementary Gym 240 Hwy 196 Nancy KY
"This texting service is everything to do with voting in Pulaski County," Price added. "This is a new technology for us, and we are really excited about it."
With this service in the future, residents will be able to receive on-demand information 24/7 by texting one to two keywords to the Pulaski County Clerk TextMyGov number (606-671-9600) to get quick information about polling locations, absentee voting, early voting, and other election related information.
Contact Steve Cornelius at scornelius@somerset-kentucky.com.
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