A bi-partisan agreement between Gov. Andy Beshear and Secretary of State Michael Adams will see Kentuckians vote by mail in the state’s primary election.

According to a statement from Beshear’s office, he and Adams have agreed that Kentucky’s voters should vote by mail-in absentee ballot in the June 23 primary election. The statement says the mail-in option is best to protect voters, county clerks and poll workers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“While there will be significant education and work required, we are committed to making sure this election will be held in a safe manner while we are in this worldwide health pandemic,” Beshear said in the statement.

Adams, who helped champion the state’s voter ID law which was passed recently by the Kentucky General Assembly, lauded the agreement between he and Beshear on the mail-in option for the primary.

“Voters across the political spectrum will be pleased with this plan to protect both democracy and public health,” Adams said in the statement from Beshear’s office.

According to an executive order issued by Beshear, all Kentuckians “should utilize absentee voting by mail” for the June 23 primary. Additionally, the State Board of Elections was mandated to develop emergency regulations to provide for expanded absentee voting by mail, including developing an online portal to allow voters to request that an absentee ballot be mailed to them. The State Board of Elections must also send a postcard to each registered voter informing them of the ability and the process to vote in the June 23 primary.

Also in the order, the State Board of Elections is ordered to permit in-person absentee voting beginning June 8 by prioritizing such voters by appointment. Personal protective equipment and sanitizing materials must also be provided by the State Board of Elections to county clerks and poll workers.

A drive-through voting option may also be considered as another way to limit direct contact between individuals.

window[‘bsa_content_preview_only_266853’] = true;