Good morning, and welcome to Election Day in Kentucky.

I’m at the KY Expo Center, aka Jefferson County’s sole in-person polling site amid this pandemic.

Follow along with the @courierjournal throughout the day for updates. #AllEyesOnKentucky #KYPrimary

If you need a recap of everything that has led up to this day, check out this thread from Ben Tobin, who is not related to me, Not Ben Tobin. https://twitter.com/tobinben/status/1275124677564862467

Here’s a look at the stream of voters coming in this morning. Most have masks on and can check in at one of seven spaced-out tables.

Some more shots of this unique/historic/not normal primary polling vote...

After getting their ballot from the table corresponding with their last name, voters head to the booths, which are wiped down / sanitized by a team of volunteers after each use.

*Those letters/tables actually correspond with precincts.

There are 527 precincts in total for the county, and 350 voting booths are set up here, with more available to get set up if needed, according to Jefferson County Clerk’s Office spokesman Nore Ghibaudy.

An occasional round of applause from volunteers echoes throughout the Expo Center whenever they check in and then shout out a “first-time voter!”

Besides the @ridetarc shuttle, several groups, such as the Louisville Urban League, are also organizing free rides to polling sites throughout Kentucky. https://twitter.com/louisvilleul/status/1275318111516983298?s=21 https://twitter.com/louisvilleul/status/1275318111516983298

Members of the @AmyMcGrathKY campaign team are here and braving the rain that has started to fall this morning, repeating chants like “Ditch Mitch” and “Amy’s good, Amy’s great, Fighting for the Bluegrss State.”

Some @Booker4KY supporters with Kentuckians for the Commonwealth are also here.

A group that is against a proposed JCPS property tax hike is also here just outside the exit and gathering signatures for their petition.

Some background via @oliviakrauth:
https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/education/2020/05/27/leader-against-jcps-tax-increase-lives-anchorage/5263038002/

Photographers with the @washingtonpost are here, and I’m told other national media will be on site today, because.... #AllEyesOnKentucky.

Also, important reminder from @joesonka re: primary results. https://twitter.com/joesonka/status/1275391037540839425

Here’s another important thing to note for those who did not yet receive an absentee ballot. https://twitter.com/kysecstate/status/1275256631429824513

Here’s another look at the check-in area just before 8 a.m. Things have been flowing fairly well, with the only wait really coming when polls opened at 6 a.m.

But a volunteer told me they had that initial wave cleared out and moved into the cavernous voting hall by 6:07 a.m.

Linda Moore, 58, of Shively, said voting in-person today at the Expo Center was a “breeze.”

Most of her family voted absentee.

“But I just feel better when I come in and do it.”

The races especially on her mind were, unsurprisingly, the Senate and presidential contests.

Howard, a 59-year-old man who preferred just sharing his first name, also said today was easy.

“It’s just a nice little brisk walk, and probably the hardest thing was out there,” he said, pointing to the parking lot and maneuvering his car in and out of it. (1/2)

Howard added that he “absolutely” thinks that future elections could and should be held at the Expo Center.

A first-time voter, Ashley Edison, said her experience was “quick and smooth...in and out.”

“I thought it was going to take six hours,” Edison, 27, said.

Daniel McGrew, 60, from Clifton, said he had requested an absentee ballot but never received it.

So he voted in-person this morning after hearing about the secretary of state’s announcement (highlighted earlier in this thread) on the news.

The “Stop Higher Taxes, Sign The Petition” guy has not stopped repeating the mantra for quite some time.

Also, Team Booker is out here by the exit, handing out Charles Booker signs if people text three of their family/friends to vote.