How to vote in my state
Kentucky
Last updated January 11, 2023
Upcoming Election Dates and Registration Deadlines
May 16, 2023
Kentucky Primary Election
Voter Registration Deadline
- Postmarked: April 19, 2023
- In-person request by: April 19, 2023
- Online request by: April 19, 2023
Absentee Request Deadline
- Post received: May 2, 2023
- In-person request by: May 2, 2023
- Online request by: May 2, 2023 at 11:59pm EDT
Completed Absentee Ballot Return Deadline
- Received: May 16, 2023 at 6:00pm EDT
Early Voting: May 11, 2023 – May 13, 2023
Kentucky also allows people to vote absentee in-person with an excuse from Wed May 3, to Wed May 10, 2023. You must have a designated excuse in order to vote during this time.
November 7, 2023
Kentucky General Election
Voter Registration Deadline
- Postmarked: October 10, 2022
- In-person request by: October 10, 2022
- Online request by: October 10, 2022
Absentee Request Deadline
- Post received: October 24, 2022
- In-person request by: October 24, 2022
- Online request by: October 24, 2022
Completed Absentee Ballot Return Deadline
- Received: November 7, 2021 (6pm)
Early Voting: November 2 – November 4, 2022
In-person absentee voting *with excuses* will take place during normal business hours (not on the weekend) from Oct 26, 2022 to Nov 2, 2022.
Helpful Resources
Register
to vote
Check if you are registered
What's on your
ballot
Absentee Voting
Voters can only vote absentee in Kentucky with an approved excuse. You may vote absentee in Kentucky if you are:
- A resident of Kentucky who is a covered voter as defined in KRS 117A.010;
- A student who temporarily resides outside the county of his or her residence;
Incarcerated in jail and charged with a crime, but has not been convicted of the crime; - Changing or has changed his or her 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, in which case the voter shall be permitted to cast a mail-in absentee ballot for electors for President and Vice President of the United States only;
- Temporarily residing outside the state but still eligible to vote in this state;
- Prevented from voting in person at the polls on election day and from casting an excused or no-excuse in-person absentee ballot on all days in-person absentee voting is conducted because he or she will be absent from the county of his or her residence all hours and all days excused or no-excuse in person absentee voting is conducted;
- A participant in the Secretary of State’s crime victim address confidentiality protection program as authorized by KRS 14.312; or
- Not able to appear at the polls on election day or the days excused or no-excuse in-person absentee voting is conducted on the account of age, disability, or illness, and who has not been declared mentally disabled by a court of competent jurisdiction.
You must contact your county clerk to request an absentee ballot application, and it will be either mailed to you or you may get an application at the county clerk’s office. Your completed application must be returned at least 7 days before an election, and your completed absentee ballot must be returned by 6 PM on Election Day.
What to Expect
on Election Day
On Election Day, polls are open from 6 AM to 6 PM.
Voter ID Requirements
You must show identification on Election Day to vote. The following forms of ID are acceptable:
- Personal acquaintance with a precinct election officer
- Driver’s License
- Social Security card
- Credit card
- Another form of identification containing both picture and signature.
Language Access
Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act requires certain jurisdictions to provide in-language voting materials in areas with a significant number of limited English proficient voters.
Section 208
Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act states that, “Any voter who requires assistance to vote by reason of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write may be given assistance by a person of the voter’s choice, other than the voter’s employer or agent of the employer or office or agent of the voter’s union.”
It is your right to bring your own interpreter to the polls, if you so choose.
Have questions or need help voting?
Call 1-888-API-VOTE (1-888-274-8683).
Bilingual assistance is available in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Urdu, Hindi, and Bengali. Click here for more information.
