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Kentucky Voter Information

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Voter checklist

Important dates

Local elections

Local elections are held every year and may include school board elections, sheriff elections, and county elections, among others.

Find your local elections

Federal general elections

Federal elections are held for U.S. President, U.S. House of Representatives, and U.S. Senate.

  1. Deadline to register to vote
  2. Early in-person voting begins, including Saturday voting
  3. Deadline to request an absentee ballot
  4. Deadline for in-person absentee voting
  5. Deadline to return completed absentee ballot
  6. General Election

Know your rights

Under Federal law, you have a right to:

  • Vote free from intimidation.
  • Cast a vote by provisional ballot if there is uncertainty regarding your registration status or eligibility.
  • Receive assistance when voting if you are unable to vote unaided due to blindness, disability, illiteracy, or inability to read English; and you have a right to choose who assists you, so long as they are not your employer or union representative.

Under Kentucky law, you have a right to:

  • Vote if you are in line to vote by 6:00 p.m., prevailing time on election day.
  • Vote in an accessible voting place.
  • Receive assistance in voting if you are blind, have a physical disability, or have an inability to read English (The person assisting you can be someone you choose or the two precinct election judges, except that of the voter’s employer, an agent of that employer, or an officer or agent of the voter’s union shall not assist a voter).
  • Vote provisional ballot if:
    • Voter name does not appear on the precinct roster and whose registration status cannot be determined by the precinct officer
    • Voter name does not appear on the precinct roster and who has been verified as ineligible to vote
    • Voter does not have identification

ID requirements

When voting in-person on Election Day, you will be asked to present one of the following forms of ID that includes your name and photograph:

  • ID issued by the Kentucky government
  • ID issued by the US government
  • ID issued by a public or private college, university, or postgraduate technical or professional school located in the US
  • ID issued by a city, county, or other local government in Kentucky

Any person who is not able to get a Photo ID due to COVID-19 will be able to vote with a non-photo ID. Also, absentee voters who have a Photo ID but are not able to provide a copy of it will be able to vote.

Voting without an acceptable photo ID

Voters without an acceptable photo ID need to produce one of the following forms of non-photo ID to the election officer:

  • Social Security Card
  • Voter ID card issued by the SBOE
  • Any ID card with the voter’s photo and name
  • Any food stamp ID card, EBT card, or SNAP card issued by Kentucky
  • A credit or debit card with the name of the voter

 

 

The voter also must sign an affidavit stating the voter has one of the following reasonable impediments to obtaining an acceptable photo ID:

  • Lack of transportation
  • Inability to financially afford a copy of their birth certificate or other underlying documentation
  • Work schedule
  • Lost or stolen ID
  • Disability or illness
  • Family responsibilities
  • The ID has been applied for but not yet received
  • Religious objection to being photographed

A voter who presents both the above ID and affidavit listing one of the above reasonable impediments can vote a regular ballot. A voter who cannot meet one or both of the above conditions may sign an affidavit swearing to their citizenship, eligibility to vote, name, date of birth, and address and vote a provisional ballot. That ballot will be counted if the voter provides the county clerk with one of the non-photo IDs listed above and signs the reasonable impediment affidavit by the close of business on the Friday following the election.

Without an eligible form of identification, a voter is permitted to cast a provisional ballot as a last recourse if a valid ID does not exist or cannot be obtained.

Report issues

Have you experienced or observed voter suppression efforts (e.g. polling place changes, voter purges, intimidation, or local practices that result in long waits to vote on Election Day)?

Report an issue

About Voting Rights Defender

LDF’s Voting Rights Defender (“VRD”) project broadens monitoring and tracking of voter suppression efforts in targeted jurisdictions months in advance of Election Day to identify as early as possible those suppression measures that warrant a responsive action.

Learn more about the Voting Rights Defender project

Our local partners

VRD will connect local partners with a resource team to combat suppressive measures using public exposure/media coverage, advocacy efforts with local actors/decisionmakers (e.g. calls, letters, petitions), and, if necessary, litigation.

Disclaimer: The information here is a resource and not legal advice. It is provided for informational purposes only and not as a substitute for or supplement to the legal advice necessary to address the specific concerns of any individual. Moreover, Kentucky may revise its laws after the publication of this site. Therefore, it is your responsibility to determine how all applicable laws concerning voter registration, voting, and the restoration of voting rights in Kentucky affect you.