2026 election

Voting in Kentucky

Primary

Held

Tuesday, May 19

Early voting

May 14th – May 16th

General

Tuesday, November 3

Early voting

October 29 – October 31

Register by: October 5
Request a mail ballot by: October 20
Mailed ballot must arrive by: November 3 close of polls

See every race and candidate on your Kentucky ballot, and where each one stands, before you vote.

Plan your ballot →

How to cast your ballot

By mail

You need one of these reasons:

I am not able to appear at the polls on Election Day or during excused or no-excuse in-person absentee voting due to age, disability, or illness, and have not been declared mentally disabled by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Military personnel, their Dependents, or Overseas Citizens.
I am a student living outside of my home county.
I am a voter who temporarily resides outside of Kentucky and who maintains eligibility to vote in Kentucky.
I will be absent from my county of residence on Election Day and all hours and all days of excused or no-excuse in-person absentee voting.
I am incarcerated, but not yet convicted of a crime.
I am a participant in the Secretary of State's crime victim address confidentiality protection program.
I am changing or have changed my place of residence to a different state while the registration books are closed in the new state of residence before an election of electors for President and Vice President of the United States. (Voters shall be permitted to cast a mail-in absentee ballot for electors for President and Vice President of the United States only).

Request a ballot Track your ballot The rules Where to drop it off

In person

Polls open on election day: 6am – 6pm
Or vote early: In the windows shown above

What counts as ID

You will need to show photo ID to vote in Kentucky.

Acceptable forms include:

Driver's license
Military ID
College ID
Kentucky government ID

If you don't have a photo ID, you may obtain a free photo ID card at one of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s regional offices.

If you cannot obtain a photo ID you may sign a _Reasonable Impediment Declaration_ and present one of the following IDs:

Any ID issued by a county in Kentucky that has been approved by the State Board of Elections and shows your name
Any ID card with both your photograph and name

Voters without ID: If you are unable to provide ID, contact your local election office.

Find your polling place Early voting

Before you can vote

Registering

Ways to register:

Kentucky lets you pre-register from age 17, so you are on the roll the moment you turn 18.

Who can register, and what you need

To register in Kentucky you must:

be a United States citizen
be a Kentucky resident for at least 28 days before the election in which you plan to vote
be at least 18 years old on or before the next general election
have not been convicted of a felony, or if you have been convicted of a felony, your civil rights must have been restored by expungement, Executive Pardon, or Executive Order
have not been judged "mentally incompetent" in a court of law
not claim the right to vote anywhere outside Kentucky

Check if you are registered Register

Which primary can you vote in?

You are required to register with a party to participate in Kentucky partisan primary elections. You should register with the party whose primary you would like to vote in.

Also voted on May 19: Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Oregon, Pennsylvania.

Dates, deadlines and rules come from DemocracyWorks, last refreshed August 27, 2026; poll hours from our own election guide. Rules change — check with your election office before you rely on a date.