You can vote now, ahead of Election Day, in Kentucky. Here are 3 ways to do so

If you’d like to vote by mail in the Tuesday, Nov. 7 statewide election in Kentucky, time is running out to request a ballot.

The deadline for requesting an absentee ballot through the commonwealth’s online portal is 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24 local time.

When requesting your absentee ballot, you will be asked to identify your excuse for the using the mail-in method, as well as providing personal information attached to your voter registration.

Those who may need help can visit or contact their county clerk’s office, and those with qualifying excuses — like a medical emergency — can request an absentee ballot from their clerk on paper through Election Day.

Only registered Kentucky voters can request an absentee ballot, and the state’s registration deadline for the November gubernatorial election was Oct. 10.

Fayette County Clerk Susan Lamb said Monday around 5,800 Lexington voters had already requested a mail-in ballot.

Those who vote under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act have a bit more time to request a by-mail ballot. The deadline for UOCAVA voters online is Tuesday, Oct. 31.

Voting in-person with an qualifying excuse in Kentucky

With absentee-by-mail voting well underway, another chance to vote early opens this week, as well.

Beginning Wednesday morning, county clerks’ offices across Kentucky will open for voters looking to cast their ballot early with a qualifying excuse.

This voting period runs from Wednesday, Oct. 25 to Friday Oct. 27 and again from Monday, Oct. 30 to Wednesday, Nov. 1 during business hours. For Fayette County voters, those hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

This early voting period is for registered voters eligible due to one of the following qualifying excuses under state law:

• Students temporarily living in another county
• Those temporarily living out of state
• Being out of your county during in-person polling hours
• Age, disability or illness that prevents you from voting in person
• In jail awaiting adjudication of your case
• Military and overseas voters
• Participants in crime victim confidentiality programs.

Kentucky’s no-excuse-needed early voting period

Despite requirements on the absentee voting period at clerks’ offices and by mail, you don’t need a qualifying excuse to cast a ballot early in the Bluegrass State. Kentucky’s three-day early voting period opens to all voters Thursday, Nov. 2 and runs Friday, Nov. 3 and Saturday, Nov. 4.

During this period, registered voters can visit the early voting site or sites in their county to cast a ballot, no excuse needed.

Fayette County voters have their pick of four locations during early voting, which will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. all three days:

• Lexington Senior Center, 195 Life Lane, Lexington, KY 40502
• Northside Library, 1733 Russell Cave Road, Lexington, KY 40505
• Eastside Library, 3000 Blake James Drive, Lexington, KY 40509
• Tates Creek Library, 3628 Walden Drive, Lexington, KY 40517

While the senior center has been used for early voting in past election cycles, the three other locations are new, Lamb said.

Any Fayette County voter can visit any of the four sites from Nov. 2 to 4.

If you are unsure if you are registered to vote, you can look up your voter information through the commonwealth’s portal at govote.ky.gov.

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 October 24, 2023 at 2:32 PM.