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Voting & Elections Toolkits

Voting and advocacy resources by librarians for librarians

Voter Registration in Kentucky

Eligibility

  • Age: Be at least 18 years old by the next General Election.
    • Kentucky law allows qualified individuals to register at 17 years of age and be able to participate in a Primary Election if the individual will be 18 years old by the General Election.
  • Formerly incarcerated individuals:
  • Citizenship: Be a U.S. citizen
  • Residence: Be a Kentucky resident for at least 28 days before the election. Non-U.S. citizens, including U.S. nationals do not qualify.
  • Not have been adjudged mentally incompetent and had voting rights removed.
  • Not claim the right to vote outside Kentucky.
  • Information for college students
  • Check to see if you are already registered or use the shortcut: GoVoteKY.com

 

More information on Kentucky voter eligibility from the Kentucky State Board of Elections

 

Deadline

  • April 22, 2024 - 4:00pm is the registration deadline for the May 21, 2024 Primary Election.
  • October 7, 2024 - 4:00pm  is the registration deadline for the November 5, 2024 General Election.
  • Election Calendar

Online registration

Note: requires entering Social Security # and date of birth.

Online registration (in English) is directly at: https://vrsws.sos.ky.gov/ovrweb/default

Mail-in registration

The voter registration card should be routed to the County Clerk in the county listed on the voter registration card [County where you live], NOT to the State Board of Elections.

Printable forms (in English)

Refer to the box below for information about ID requirements.

Choosing a political party   

  • You may choose a political party affiliation when you register, but it is not required. Note: if you did not select a party, and wish to vote in a partisan primary, you must update your registration by December 31 of the year prior to the primary election.                

Updating registration      

To update registration after a move, name change, or change of political party affiliation, use the Kentucky Voter Information Portal

If you did not select a political party, and wish to vote in a partisan primary, you must update your registration by December 31 of the year prior to the primary election.  

Cancelling registration

To cancel your voter registration, contact the County Clerk’s office where you are registered to vote.

 

ID Requirements for Kentucky Voters

ID Requirements for Registration

Online Registration

For online voter registration, one must enter  Social Security # and date of birth.

Mail-in Registration

An ID is not required for mail-in registration.

ID Requirements for Voting

For the 2024 General Election:

Photo ID is required to vote in-person in Kentucky. The Kentucky Board of Elections has a video explaining Photo ID requirements.

From the League of Women Voters of Lexington:

"The most common form of a valid photo ID is your driver’s license. Other examples of acceptable ID (as long as they include your name and photo) are: 

  • Military ID 
  • College ID  
  • Kentucky government ID"

See Voter ID Requirements (State Board of Elections).

Free Voter ID cards are available for those without a driver's license or other accepted form of ID (see "How to Get ID" tab).

Where to get an ID

Transportation Cabinet, Division of Driver Licensing

Obtaining a Driver’s License

Free Voter ID cards are available at any Driver Licensing Regional Office with valid proof documents and an Affidavit for Free Identification Card for Voting Purposes Form.

Casting a Ballot in Kentucky

Important Dates

  • Voter Registration: October 7, 2024 - 4:00pm local time (or, if mail-in, postmarked 10/7)
  • Absentee Ballot request (online): opens September 21; closes on October 22, 2024, 11:59pm
  • Absentee Ballot request (mail request or in-person request) same dates as above; official wording is "online mail-in absentee request"
  • General Election: November 5, 2024
  • Absentee / mail-in ballots:  received before 6:00pm, prevailing time, November 5, 2024
  • Early voting
    • in-person, no excuse absentee voting:  October 31, 2024 - November 2, 2024
    • in-person, excused absentee voting: October 23, 2024 - October 25, 2024; October 28, 2024 - October 30, 2024 (must have designated reason)

Consult the official Kentucky calendar below for more details:

2024 Election Calendar

  • Primary: May 21, 2024
  • General: November 5, 2024

Absentee voting

Opening/closing dates

  • October 31, 2024 - November 2, 2024: in-person no-excuse absentee voting to be conducted by county clerk office
  • Mail-in absentee ballots must be received by clerk before 6pm prevailing time
  • Based on 2024 Election Calendar.

Military voters and voters who reside outside the U.S.

Who is eligible to use an absentee ballot?

Polling places and hours

  • All Polling Locations, by county
  • For the General Election, November 5, 2024, polls in Kentucky are open from 6:00am to 6:00pm prevailing time. If you are in line by 6:00pm, you will be allowed to vote.
  • Time off to vote: "If you are working on Election Day, you may be entitled to a maximum of four consecutive hours off from work in order to vote or cast an absentee ballot if you make a request for time off with your employer. Your employer may specify the hours you may take  leave to cast a ballot."

Rides to the polls

Many organizations offer free rides to polling places. Check your local newspaper or broadcast news station for these organizations.

Help for voters with disabilities

  • Polling places are accessible
  • A voter may receive assistance in voting if the voter is blind, has a physical disability, or has an inability to read English. (The person assisting you can be a someone you choose or the two precinct election judges, except that the voter’s employer, an agent of that employer, or an officer or agent of the voter’s union shall not assist a voter)

Ballots

Where to get more info on candidates - League of Women Voters of Kentucky; local newspapers (daily and weekly)

 

Sample ballots from Kentucky Secretary of State website or  Voter Information Portal

Elections

Primaries vs. general elections

  • Primary elections are conducted to select each party’s candidates in the general election.
  • In Kentucky, a voter must be a member of a political party -- by December 31st of the previous year -- in order to vote in that party’s primary.
  • In a general election, voters are not required to have a party affiliation.

Jurisdiction

Offices/Measures That May Appear on the Ballot
Federal (even years)

President/Vice-President (elected every four years; next election in 2024)

Senator (elected every six years for staggered terms; next election in 2026)

Representative (elected every two years)
State (even years for most)

Governor/Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Comptroller, Attorney General, (elected every four years; next election in 2027)

State Senator (elected every four years - odd-numbered years)

State Representative (elected every two years)

Statewide ballot measures
Municipal (odd years)

School Board and other boards and commissions

Mayor

Tax Collector

Local ballot measures

Who are the candidates, and what else is on the ballot?

See sample ballots by county.

Important Dates

  • Voter Registration:  October 7, 2024, 4:00pm local time
  • Absentee Ballot request (online): opens on September 21, 2024; closes on October 22, 2024, 11:59pm
  • Absentee Ballot request (mail request or in-person request) same dates as above; official wording is "online mail-in absentee request"
  • "In-person no-excuse absentee voting" at county clerk's office or other designated place: Oct. 31 - Nov. 2
  • General Election: November 5, 2024

 

 

Who conducts elections?

  • The Kentucky Secretary of State  oversees statewide elections.

Voter Bill of Rights

Voter Rights - State Board of Elections

 

Where to go with complaints about candidates or how elections are conducted

 

Campaign finance

 

How to contact your elected officials:

Find your elected officials:

Federal:

State:

General Resources on Voting and Elections

General Resources on Voting and Elections

Election Protection Hotlines

1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)

1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682) (en Español)

1-888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683) (Asian multilingual assistance)

1-844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287) (Arabic)

Voter Registration & Election Day Resources

Find useful voter information including:

  • Local Election Office and Contact Information
  • Address, Telephone and Email for Local Election Offices
  • Upcoming Federal Election Dates and Deadlines
  • Upcoming State Election Dates and Deadlines
  • Eligibility Requirements
  • Identification Requirements
  • Voter Materials Transmission Options
  • State Lookup Tools – Am I Registered? Where’s my Ballot?

Population-Specific information and Resources

Voting Rights: Laws, Cases, Policy

Voter Engagement

Voter Education

Campaign Finance/Funding Information

Primary Sources, Lesson Plans & Exhibits

Disclaimer

Librarians from the Government Documents Round Table (GODORT), a Round Table of the American Library Association (ALA), created these reference guides. These guides are intended for informational purposes only and are not in any way intended to be legal advice.

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These guides are designated with a Creative Commons license and re-use and modification for educational purposes is encouraged.

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