Kentucky Primary Election 2024

Photo Identification at the Polls

For Election Day voting places, ask at your county clerk’s office (you can find your County Clerk’s contact info  here) or visit elect.ky.gov and choose “Find Your Polling Location”, or click here.

For general elections, Election Day is the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. For primaries, it’s the first Tuesday after the third Monday in May.

On Election Day, the polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., local time. If you are in line by 6:00 p.m. you will be permitted to vote. Do not leave without voting.

Each county decides which voting technology it will purchase, choosing from among a list of machines certified by the State Board of Elections. Voters may ask their precinct election officials for instruction in the use of the machine when they go to vote. In some counties, the county clerk holds demonstration events in advance of the election to familiarize voters with the machines.

Early Voting

All registered Kentucky voters can vote early without an excuse. State law calls this a “no-excuse in-person absentee ballot.”

Dates: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before Election Day. 

Times: At least eight hours between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. each day, with the county board of elections choosing the exact times.

Place: Your county clerk's office or a place chosen by your county board of elections. 

For voting times and places, ask at your county clerk’s office (you can find your County Clerk’s contact info  here) or visit elect.ky.gov and choose “Find Your Polling Location”, or click here.

Applications for mail-in absentee ballots must be requested through the GoVote.KY.gov portal. The deadline for making the request, except in case of a medical emergency, is 14 days before the election. If someone is unable to use the portal because of a disability or lack of internet, then they may contact their local County Clerks office, who will submit the request on the voter’s behalf.

In case of a medical emergency you may apply for an absentee ballot up to the day of the election. Contact your County Clerk.

Qualifications include:

• 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.

• member of the Armed Forces or the dependent of a member of the Armed Forces

• military personnel confined to a military base on election day

• temporarily residing overseas but still eligible to vote in Kentucky

• temporarily residing out of state but still eligible to vote in Kentucky

• a student attending school outside county of residence

• incarcerated in jail and charged but not convicted of the crime

• working outside the county and unable to vote early in the county clerk’s office or in your polling place on election day.

• participant in the Secretary of State's crime victim address confidentiality protection program

• A resident of Kentucky who is a covered voter as defined in KRS 117A.010

When your ballot arrives, complete it and use the two envelopes, following directions carefully.

1. Return ballot by U.S. mail or to a county drop-box. Ballots need to reach the county clerk’s office by 6 p.m. Election Day.  

2. Track ballot at GoVote.KY.gov to make sure it arrives. Ballots are now tracked with barcodes.

3. Respond quickly if you receive a notice that you need to cure mail-in ballot problem.”

Excused In-person Absentee Voting

Under certain conditions (see qualifications below), registered voters may be permitted to vote on a voting machine at the county clerk’s office during the 6 business days immediately before the three days of no-excuse “Early” voting (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) prior to the election.

Qualifications include:

• Is a resident of Kentucky who is a covered voter as defined in KRS 117A.010, who will be absent from the county of his or her residence on the day of an election and during the days of no-excuse in-person absentee voting;

• Has surgery, or whose spouse has surgery, scheduled that will require hospitalization on the day of an election and during the days of no-excuse in-person absentee voting;

• Is in her last trimester of pregnancy and the voter completes the form that is prescribed by the State Board of Elections, which contains a sworn statement that the voter is in her last trimester of pregnancy at the time she wishes to vote

• Is a resident of Kentucky who is a uniformed-service voter as defined in KRS 117A.010 confined to a military base on election day and during the days of no-excuse in-person absentee voting

• Is in her last trimester of pregnancy and the voter completes the form that is prescribed by the State Board of Elections, which contains a sworn statement that the voter is in her last trimester of pregnancy at the time she wishes to vote;

• Has not been declared mentally disabled by a court of competent jurisdiction and, due to age, disability, or illness, is not able to appear at the polls on election day and during the days of no-excuse in-person absentee voting;

• Is a student who temporarily resides outside the county of his or her residence and will be absent from the county of his or her residence on the day of an election and during the days of no-excuse in-person absentee voting;

• Any person employed in an occupation that is scheduled to work during all days and all hours, which shall include commute time, the polls are open on election day and during the days of no-excuse in-person absentee voting; or

• Any election officer tasked with election administration for the current election cycle.​

medical Emergency

Military and Overseas Voters

FEDERAL VOTING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) is a voting assistance program for service members and their families and overseas citizens. Phone: 800-438-VOTE (8683)

Questions?

If you have questions, you can call the your county clerk or the State Board of Elections 1-800-246-1399.