Kentucky’s 3-day early voting period in the 2023 primary races kicks off statewide

Early voting in Kentucky’s hotly contest gubernatorial primary got underway as of Thursday morning.

The state’s three-day early voting period – which is among the shortest in the country – allows any registered voter to cast their ballot early, no excuse needed. Polls will be open Thursday, May 11, Friday, May 12 and Saturday, May 13 statewide.

Fayette County voters can visit the University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field at 1540 University Drive Lexington, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to cast their ballot.

Unlike absentee voting that takes place at county clerks’ offices, you do not need a qualifying excuse to vote early during this period.

Tuesday, County Clerk Susan Lamb, who is overseeing her first election since being appointed, said the staffers and poll workers are ready to welcome voters. Kroger Field is large enough to offer eight to 10 voting stations, and this year’s primary ballots are shorter, so voters shouldn’t have to wait long.

If you live outside Fayette County, you can find your early voting location – called “in-person no-excuse absentee” – on the Kentucky State Board of Elections website.

What to know to vote early in Kentucky’s 2023 primaries

Individuals should take their photo identification with them, as it is required to vote in Kentucky, and remember to fill in the square beside their preferred candidate entirely to ensure your vote is correctly counted.

Turnout may be somewhat poor this spring as primaries tend to draw less fanfare than general elections. It was shy of 20% for the 2019 gubernatorial primaries, though higher, just above 24% in Fayette County. In 2015, it was even lower, at 12.5% statewide.

Kentucky has 3,468,598 registered voters as of April, according to the latest state report, and nearly 241,000 of them reside in Fayette County.

Secretary of State Michael Adams, who oversees elections, was reportedly expecting turnout to dip as low as 10% as of Wednesday.

The commonwealth conducts closed primaries, meaning you must be registered with the party in question to cast a ballot for the nomination. You cannot change your party affiliation during early voting or on Election Day and vote that party’s ballot.

For those looking to catch up, sample ballots and other resources are available through the secretary of state’s office, and we’ve pulled together information about candidates through a number of reputable means.

Do you have a question about the 2023 election in Kentucky for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.

This story was originally published May 11, 2023 at 8:30 AM.