Early voting for Kentucky primary elections begins Thursday
“I voted” stickers rest on a counter. Kentucky's primary election is May 19 but early voting is May 14-16. (Photo by Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight)
Kentucky voters can start voting early Thursday morning across the state.
Formally called “no-excuse in-person absentee voting,” registered voters have Thursday, Friday and Saturday to vote ahead of the primary Election Day, which is Tuesday. It differs from absentee voting, where voters can cast ballots in-person or by mail if they have an excuse recognized under state law.
Early voting polling locations and hours vary by county. To find local information, visit the State Board of Elections website. Also listed are Election Day polling locations and drop box locations for returning mail absentee ballots.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot has passed, but they must be returned to a voter’s local county clerk’s office by the time polls close Tuesday, which is 6 p.m. local time.
Voters have several races to decide, including Democratic and Republican nominees for U.S. Senate and the U.S. House. Independent voters may also cast ballots in some local races. To view a sample ballot, visit the Secretary of State’s website.
About 17,000 of the roughly 32,000 requested mail-in absentee ballots — or 54.12% — had been returned to county clerk’s offices as of Tuesday, the State Board of Elections’ turnout data said. For in-person excused voting, nearly 5,000 Kentuckians participated.
To learn more about candidates in the upcoming primary election, visit the Kentucky Lantern voter guide.