Election administration in Kentucky
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Election administration encompasses a state's voting policies and methods of enforcing them. These include voter identification requirements, early and absentee voting provisions, voter list maintenance methods, and more. Each state's voting policies dictate who can vote and under what conditions.
Below, you will find details on the following election administration topics in Kentucky:
Poll times
- See also: State poll opening and closing times
In Kentucky, all polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Central and Eastern Time. All those in line by 6:00 p.m. will be permitted to vote.[2]
Voter registration
- Check your voter registration status here.
In order to vote in Kentucky, one must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of the state for at least 28 days before Election Day. A voter must be at least 18 years old by Election Day.[3]
Registration must be completed 28 days prior to the election. Registration can be completed by submitting a form by mail or at one of the following locations:[3]
- County clerk's offices
- License branches
- Social service agencies
- Military recruitment offices
- High schools (for students and staff)
Automatic registration
Kentucky does not practice automatic voter registration.
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Kentucky has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
Kentucky does not allow same-day voter registration.
Residency requirements
Kentucky law requires 28 days of residency in the state before a person may vote.
Verification of citizenship
Kentucky does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration.
Verifying your registration
The Voter Information Center site, run by the Kentucky State Board of Elections, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Early and absentee voting policy
Early voting
- See also: Early voting
Kentucky permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Absentee voting
- See also: Absentee voting
A Kentucky voter is eligible to vote absentee in an election if he or she cannot make it to the polls on Election Day for one of the following reasons:[4]
- The voter is advanced in age, disabled, or ill
- The voter is a member of the United States Military or is a dependent of a member of the military
- The voter is an overseas citizen
- The voter is a student who temporarily resides outside the county
- The voter is temporarily residing outside of Kentucky and maintains eligibility to vote in Kentucky, such as a "snowbird"
- The voter is incarcerated, but not yet convicted of a crime
- The voter is unable to vote in-person because of his or her employment location
Absentee ballots can only be obtained by contacting the local county clerk’s office.
Returning absentee ballots
A completed absentee ballot can be mailed to the local county clerk’s office and must be received by the close of the polls at 6:00 p.m. on Election Day. A voter can also drop off the completed ballot at the clerk’s office before Election Day.[4] State law does not specify whether someone other than the voter may return the absentee ballot, but any individuals assisting a voter with an absentee ballot must fill out a voter assistance form.[5]
Signature requirements and cure provisions
Kentucky does have a cure provision, a law providing for a process wherein election officials follow up with voters whose absentee ballots contain a signature discrepancy or lack the requisite signatures. Voters must sign their absentee ballots. The signature on the absentee ballot is compared to the signature on file with the voter's county clerk’s office.[6]
Was your absentee ballot counted?
Voters can contact their county clerk's office to see if their absentee ballot was mailed, received, and accepted.[7]
Voter identification requirements
- See also: Voter ID in Kentucky
- See also: Voter identification laws by state
Kentucky requires voters to present identification while voting.[8][9]
Voters can present the following forms of identification:
- Driver’s license
- Social Security card
- County issued identification card approved in writing by the State Board of Elections
- U.S. government-issued identification card
- Kentucky state government-issued identification card with a picture
- Credit card
- Any form of ID containing both picture and signature
If a precinct officer is a personal acquaintance of the voter, the voter does not have to produce identification.
Background
As of August 2023, 34 states required voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of these states, 23 required voters to present identification containing a photograph, and 11 accepted other forms of identification. The remaining 16 states did not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Valid forms of identification differ by state. Commonly accepted forms include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.[10][11]
Provisional balloting for voters without ID
Voters who do not have ID while voting may cast provisional ballots.[12] See below for provisional ballot rules.
Provisional ballot rules
Voters in Kentucky are given provisional ballots, or ballots requiring additional steps or information before they can be counted, under the following circumstances.[13]
(1) If the voter’s "name does not appear on the precinct roster and whose registration status cannot be determined by the precinct officer," the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
(2) If the voter’s "name does not appear on the precinct roster and who has been verified as ineligible to vote," the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
(3) If the "voter is voting as a result of a Federal or State Court Order or any Order under state law in effect 10 days prior to election day which extends polling hours," the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
(4) If the voter does not provide photo identification, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
(5) If the voter’s eligibility "has been challenged by all four precinct election officers," the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
Was your provisional ballot counted?
A provisional ballot is rejected if the voter is ineligible to vote in the precinct in the election.[14]
Visit the office of the Kentucky State Board of Elections Provisional Ballot Search tool to check the status of your provisional ballot.
Local election officials
Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool. |
Primary election type
- See also: Primary elections in Kentucky
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Kentucky utilizes a closed primary process, in which the selection of a party's candidates in an election is limited to registered party members.[15][16][17]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Time off work for voting
In Kentucky, the state constitution grants employees the right to no less than four hours of paid leave for voting, specified by employers during elections. Employees who do not use this time to vote and are not prevented from doing so may be subjected to disciplinary action:
| “ |
(2) As provided in Section 148 of the Constitution of Kentucky, any person entitled to a vote at any election in this state shall, if he has made application for leave prior to the day he appears before the county clerk to request an application for or to execute an absentee ballot, be entitled to absent himself from any services or employment in which he is then engaged or employed for a reasonable time, but not less than four (4) hours on the day he appears before the clerk to request an application for or to execute an absentee ballot, during normal business hours of the office of the clerk or to cast his ballot on the day of the election between the time of opening and closing the polls. The employer may specify the hours during which an employee may absent himself. (3) No person shall be penalized for taking a reasonable time off to vote, unless, under circumstances which did not prohibit him from voting, he fails to vote. Any qualified voter who exercises his right to voting leave under this section but fails to cast his vote, under circumstances which did not prohibit him from voting, may be subject to disciplinary action.[18][19] |
” |
As of 2020, 28 states had laws requiring employers to provide time off for voting under certain conditions.
Voting rules for people convicted of a felony
- See also: Voting rights for convicted felons
Effective December 12, 2019, people convicted of a felony in Kentucky regained the right to vote upon completion of sentence, including prison time, parole, and probation. Rights are restored at that time regardless of whether the people convicted have paid all fines, restitution, or other money ordered by a court. People convicted of treason, election bribery, and certain violent felonies do not regain voting rights.[20]
Prior to December 12, 2019, people convicted of any felony, as well as some misdemeanors, lost their voting rights, according to Kentucky's constitution, Section 145. Voting rights could be restored to them only by reversible pardons offered by the state's governor.
Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[15]
Voter list maintenance
All states have rules under which they maintain voter rolls—or, check and remove certain names from their lists of registered voters. Most states are subject to the parameters set by The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).[21] The NVRA requires states to make efforts to remove deceased individuals and individuals who have become ineligible due to a change of address. It prohibits removing registrants from voter lists within 90 days of a federal election due to change of address unless a registrant has requested to be removed, or from removing people from voter lists solely because they have not voted. The NVRA says that states may remove names from their registration lists under certain other circumstances and that their methods for removing names must be uniform and nondiscriminatory.[22]
When names can be removed from the voter list
Kentucky law authorizes the State Board of Elections to remove the names of voters from the registered voting list if an individual:[23]
- dies
- is declared incompetent
- is convicted of a felony
- confirms in writing that they have moved outside of their voting jurisdiction
- remains on the inactive voter list through two federal general elections.
Inactive voter list rules
Kentucky law requires the State Board of Elections to conduct a voter registration purge program using National Change of Address data. If the Board identifies individuals who appear to have moved, the Board or county elections officials are to send the voter an address confirmation notice. If the voter does not respond, they are placed on an inactive voter registration list. Inactive voters are not included in calculations for election administration procedures. If a voter remains in inactive status through two general elections for federal office, their registration is to be cancelled.[24]
The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)
According to its website, ERIC is a nonprofit corporation that is governed by a board of member-states. These member states submit voter registration and motor vehicle registration information to ERIC. ERIC uses this information, as well as Social Security death records, to provide member states with detailed reports showing voters who have moved within their state, moved out of their state, died, have duplicate registrations in their state, or are potentially eligible to vote but are not yet registered. ERIC's website describes its funding as follows: "Each state pays annual dues, which are determined by a formula approved by the ERIC membership. The formula includes a state's citizen voting age population as a factor."[25]
By 2022, 33 states and the District of Columbia had joined ERIC. As of August 2023, 26 states and the District of Columbia were members in the ERIC program.[26]
As of August 2023, Kentucky was participating in the ERIC program.
Post-election auditing
Kentucky state law requires post-election audits. The Kentucky State Board of Elections randomly selects precincts representing 3-5 percent of the total ballots cast in each election. The audit is done as part of the canvass. According to state law, "If a discrepancy is discovered, a re-canvass is required and errors corrected."[27]
Post-election audits check that election results tallied by a state's voting system match results from paper records, such as paper ballots filled out by voters or the paper records produced by electronic voting machines. Post-election audits are classified into two categories: audits of election results—which include traditional post-election audits as well as risk-limiting audits—and procedural audits.[15][28]
Typically, traditional post-election audits are done by recounting a portion of ballots, either electronically or by hand, and comparing the results to those produced by the state's voting system. In contrast, risk-limiting audits use statistical methods to compare a random sample of votes cast to election results instead of reviewing every ballot. The scope of procedural audits varies by state, but they typically include a systematic review of voting equipment, performance of the voting system, vote totals, duties of election officials and workers, ballot chain of custody, and more.
As of December 2023, 41 states and the District of Columbia required some form of post-election audit. Of these, 36 states and the District of Columbia required traditional post-election audits, three states required risk-limiting post-election audits, and two states required procedural post-election audits.[16]
Noteworthy events
Signing of House Bill 574 (2021)
On April 7, 2021, Governor Andy Beshear (D) signed HB574 into law, making the following modifications to Kentucky's election laws:[29][30]
- Providing for three days of in-person early voting on the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday preceding Election Day.
- Allowing for voters to correct (or "cure") defects on their absentee/mail-in ballots.
- Authorizing counties to offer vote centers where residents from any precinct can cast their ballots.
- Authorizing the use of secure drop boxes for returning absentee/mail-in ballots.
On February 26, 2021, the Kentucky House of Representatives approved HB574 by a vote of 93-4. On March 16, 2021, the Kentucky State Senate approved an amended version of the bill by a vote of 32-3. On March 29, 2021, the House voted 91-3 to approve the Senate's amendments.[29]
Election policy ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in Kentucky.
- Kentucky Voting Rights Referendum (1955)
- Kentucky Commissioner of Education Referendum (1957)
- Kentucky General Assembly Election Years Referendum (1979)
The table below lists bills related to election administration that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in Kentucky. The following information is included for each bill:
- State
- Bill number
- Official name or caption
- Most recent action date
- Legislative status
- Topics dealt with by the bill
Bills are organized alphabetically, first by state and then by bill number. The table displays up to 100 results by default. To view additional results, use the arrows in the upper-right corner of the table. For more information about a particular bill, click the bill number. This will open a separate page with additional information.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.
Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that's just the beginning of what it can do:
- Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments
- We translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language
- And because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan
The Ballot Bulletin
The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.
Click here to view recent issues and subscribe.
Ballot access
In order to get on the ballot in Kentucky, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.
There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.
- An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
- An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
- An individual can run as a write-in candidate.
This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Kentucky. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, see "Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Kentucky." Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Kentucky
Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Each of Kentucky's six United States Representatives and 138 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. United States Senators are not elected by districts, but by the states at large. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.[31][32][33][34]
Kentucky was apportioned six seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, the same number it received after the 2010 census. Click here for more information about redistricting in Kentucky after the 2020 census.
State process
- See also: State-by-state redistricting procedures
In Kentucky, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature. District maps may be vetoed by the governor.[35]
Guidelines adopted in 1991 stipulate that congressional districts ought to be contiguous. In addition, county lines and communities of interest should be maintained if possible. These guidelines are not statutory; consequently, they may be amended by the legislature at its discretion.[35]
The Kentucky Constitution requires that state legislative districts "be contiguous ... and preserve whole counties where possible."[35]
Election administration agencies
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Kentucky can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
Kentucky County Boards of Elections
Office of the Secretary of State, Office of Elections
- 700 Capital Ave., Ste. 148
- Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
- Telephone: 502-564-3490
- Fax: 502-564-5687
- http://www.sos.ky.gov/elections/
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 1335 East West Highway, Suite 4300
- Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
- Telephone: 866-747-1471
Ballotpedia's election coverage
- United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2024
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2024
- Democratic Party gubernatorial primaries, 2024
- Democratic Party Secretary of State primaries, 2024
- Democratic Party Attorney General primaries, 2024
- State legislative Democratic primaries, 2024
- United States Senate Republican Party primaries, 2024
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2024
- Republican Party gubernatorial primaries, 2024
- Republican Party Secretary of State primaries, 2024
- Republican Party Attorney General primaries, 2024
- State legislative Republican primaries, 2024
See also
- 2024 election dates and deadlines
- Voting in Kentucky
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Kentucky
- Redistricting in Kentucky
Elections in Kentucky
- Kentucky elections, 2023
- Kentucky elections, 2022
- Kentucky elections, 2021
- Kentucky elections, 2020
- Kentucky elections, 2019
- Kentucky elections, 2018
- Kentucky elections, 2017
- Kentucky elections, 2016
- Kentucky elections, 2015
- Kentucky elections, 2014
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ We use the term "absentee/mail-in voting" to describe systems in which requests or applications are required. We use the term "all-mail voting" to denote systems where the ballots themselves are sent automatically to all voters. We use the hyphenate term for absentee voting because some states use “mail voting” (or a similar alternative) to describe what has traditionally been called "absentee voting."
- ↑ Kentucky Board of Elections, "Voter Information Guide," accessed April 26, 2023
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Kentucky Board of Elections, "Voter Information Guide," accessed April 26, 2023
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kentucky State Board of Elections, "Absentee Voting," accessed October 24, 2019 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "av" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Returning Absentee Ballots," accessed April 26, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Verification of Absentee Ballots," accessed April 26, 2023
- ↑ Kentucky State Board of Elections, "FAQ: Absentee Voting," accessed April 26, 2023
- ↑ Kentucky State Board of Elections, "Election Day Information," accessed April 26, 2023
- ↑ FindLaw.com, "Kentucky Revised Statutes Title X. Elections § 117.227. Confirmation of voter's identity," accessed April 26, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Voter Identification Requirements|Voter ID Laws," March 9, 2023
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Do I need an ID to vote? A look at the laws in all 50 states," October 27, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky State Board of Elections, "Voter Rights," accessed April 26, 2023
- ↑ Kentucky State Board of Elections, "Voter Rights," accessed April 26, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Provisional Ballots," November 4, 2022
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed April 26, 2023 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "ncsl" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "ncsl" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 16.0 16.1 Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes. Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "research" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Kentucky State Board of Elections,"Key Information," accessed April 26, 2023
- ↑ Kentucky General Assembly, "118.035 Hours polls to be open -- Employees to be allowed time off to vote, to apply for or execute absentee ballot, and to serve or train to be election officer.," accessed April 26, 2023
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Kentucky Governor, "Related to the Restoration of Civil Rights for Convicted Felons," December 12, 2019
- ↑ The Justice Department notes, "Six States (Idaho, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming) are exempt from the NVRA because, on and after August 1, 1994, they either had no voter-registration requirements or had election-day voter registration at polling places with respect to elections for federal office."
- ↑ The United States Department of Justice, "The National Voter Registration Act of 1993," accessed Aprl 4, 2023
- ↑ Kentucky Revised Statutes, "116.112 and 116.113," September 22, 2019
- ↑ Kentucky Revised Statutes, "116.0452 ad 116.113," September 22, 2019
- ↑ ERIC, "Home," accessed April 4, 2023
- ↑ ERIC, "Who We Are," accessed August 7, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Post-Election Audits," accessed September 22, 2022
- ↑ Election Assistance Commission, "Election Audits Across the United States," accessed August 15, 2023
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 Kentucky General Assembly, "House Bill 574," accessed April 26, 2023
- ↑ Louisville Courier Journal, "Kentucky lawmakers pass key election reforms, including early voting," March 30, 2021
- ↑ All About Redistricting, "Why does it matter?" accessed April 8, 2015
- ↑ Indy Week, "Cracked, stacked and packed: Initial redistricting maps met with skepticism and dismay," June 29, 2011
- ↑ The Atlantic, "How the Voting Rights Act Hurts Democrats and Minorities," June 17, 2013
- ↑ Redrawing the Lines, "The Role of Section 2 - Majority Minority Districts," accessed April 6, 2015
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 All About Redistricting, "Kentucky," accessed April 29, 2015
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