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Hardin County reports 19.24% primary turnout; planned road closure that threatened polling access was averted
Summary
Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith reported a 19.24% turnout (about 15,800 voters) in the May primary and said a planned Transportation Cabinet road closure that would have affected the county's busiest polling place (nearly 2,000 voters) was reversed after he contacted State Senator Matt Deneen and Transportation Cabinet leadership.
Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith reported to the Fiscal Court on May 26, 2026, that the county’s May primary turnout was 19.24%, or roughly 15,800 voters, continuing an upward trend across the last three primaries.
Smith said a planned road closure by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet threatened access to the county’s busiest polling site—nearly 2,000 voters—but that he contacted State Senator Matt Deneen and Transportation Cabinet leadership and the closure was averted within about 15 minutes, preserving voter access. Smith praised poll workers and thanked Jailer Josh Lindblom’s crew for handling election equipment logistics, which he said saved the county significant costs compared with outsourcing.
The clerk framed the incident as an example of local coordination: he thanked Senator Deneen, Transportation Cabinet officials, local school districts, firehouses and a church that provided facilities or support, and emphasized the county’s commitment to open, fair and secure elections. The court did not take a formal vote on this report.
