Early voting in Kentucky now open. Here’s how to cast your ballot in the 2024 election
Lea este artículo en español sobre el Lexington Herald-Leader.
Kentuckians who want to skip the line or just desire some flexibility can now vote early in the Tuesday, Nov. 5 General Election.
The state’s three-day, no-excuse-needed early voting period opens Thursday morning and will allow registered Kentucky voters, regardless of circumstance or excuse, to make their presidential and down-ballot choices ahead of Tuesday’s election.
Kentucky’s early voting period runs statewide Thursday, Oct. 31, Friday, Nov. 1 and Saturday, Nov. 2. Hours and locations vary by county, and voters must cast their ballot in their county of residence.
Voting early may save you some time, according to predictions from state officials. The volume of absentee ballot requests made before the Oct. 22 deadline could signal “massive overall turnout,” Michael Adams, Kentucky’s top election official, said in an Oct. 23 post on social media site X.
Across the commonwealth, 130,695 mail-in ballots were requested, and Fayette County was no exception.
In an Oct. 21 notice, Fayette County clerk Susan Lamb said she was closing her office to the public for two days to allow staff process absentee ballots. In all, Fayette County mailed out more than 13,000 ballots, nearly 65% of which have already been voted and returned, Lamb said Tuesday.
“If the indication from absentee requests and in-person absentee voting with a qualifying excuse is going to be replicated at early voting and Election Day, then I would not be surprised if we had between 70 and 80% turnout,” Lamb wrote in an email to the Herald-Leader.
It is too late to request a mail-in ballot in Kentucky. But if you’d still like to vote early, here’s what you need to know about doing so in person, including where to go, what to bring and some information specific to Fayette County voters.
How can I vote early in Kentucky? Where can I vote?
During the three-day early voting period, any registered voter can cast a ballot early with no excuse needed.
There are other types of absentee voting, as well, including mail-in and in-person excused. The in-person excused voting period ran statewide weekdays Oct. 23 to 30 at county clerk offices and required voters to have a valid reason to use the method.
It was a popular choice this election cycle, Adams said in a social media post Monday, reporting a 114% increase in in-person, excused absentee balloting over 2022.
But voters don’t need an excuse to vote early Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 at sites in their county. You can use the state’s polling place locator at govote.ky.gov to find an early voting location near you and check hours.
If you are a resident of a county near Fayette, here’s where you can vote early:
- Scott County: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Scott County Public Library community room at 104 S. Bradford Lane and the Scott County clerk’s office in the third-floor fiscal courtroom at 101 E. Main St., both in Georgetown
- Bourbon County: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Bourbon County Legion Park, 30 Legion Drive in Paris
- Woodford County: 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2 at Falling Springs Recreation Center, 275 Beasley Drive in Versailles
- Jessamine County: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Jessamine County courthouse at 101 N. Main St. in Nicholasville and Wilmore city hall at 210 S. Lexington Ave. in Wilmore
- Clark County: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31 and Friday, Nov. 1 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Clark County courthouse on the first floor of 34 S. Main St. in Winchester
- Madison County: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Russel Acton Folk Center at 212 W. Jefferson St. in Berea; the Madison County extension office at 230 Duncannon Lane in Richmond; the Madison County Public Library at 507 W. Main St. in Richmond; Ignite Academy North Campus at 2075 Merchant Drive in Richmond; Richmond Active Living Center at 801 Brighton Ave. in Richmond; and Ignite Academy South Campus at 123 Farristown Industrial Drive in Berea.
Where can I vote early in Lexington/Fayette County?
Fayette County voters can cast their ballot at Lexington Public Library locations from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. all three days during the early voting period.
The following locations will accept Fayette County voters:
- Eastside Branch, 3000 Blake James Drive
- Northside Branch, 1733 Russell Cave Road
- Tates Creek Branch, 3628 Walden Drive
- Beaumont Branch, 3080 Fieldstone Way
- Central, 140 E. Main St.
- Marksbury Branch, 2197 Versailles Road
Lamb said the county has expanded privacy areas at some libraries to accommodate more voters.
Who can vote early, and do they need a photo ID?
Any registered voter can visit any early voting site in their county during the three-day period and cast their ballot. You do not have to visit a specific location or the one closest to your residence.
The voter registration deadline was Oct. 7, but if you think you may be eligible to vote, speak with an election worker at your polling place.
All voters are required to present a form of valid photo identification at the polls. Kentucky accepts several types of IDs, including driver’s licenses, military IDs, student IDs.
Young voters who are 17 during the early voting period but will be 18 by or on Election Day can cast a ballot in the presidential election.
Can I still vote by mail in the 2024 presidential election?
Yes, if you have requested an absentee-by-mail ballot, you can still fill it out and return it to your county clerk to be counted. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot has passed, however.
To vote by mail, fill out your ballot completely according to the directions on the envelope. Once you’ve voted, there are several ways to return your ballot.
You can mail it back using U.S. Postal Service postage and postmarked by Election Day. If you’d rather return it in person or are cutting it close to Election Day, you can drop your voted ballot into your county’s secure drop box. To find a drop box near you, use the state’s polling place locator tool.
If you are dropping your mail-in ballot in a secure drop box, you must do so no later than 6 p.m. local time on Election Day.
Want to vote on Election Day? No problem.
Tuesday, Nov. 5, polls will open across the U.S. to determine federal, state and local races, including the presidential contest. In Kentucky, polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time.
Registered voters may cast a ballot at their assigned polling place or at a vote center if their county offers them.
Fayette County will have such centers, with the six Lexington Public Library locations open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday taking all Fayette County voters.
“We are expecting a large turnout at our libraries and have them to use as a fallback for people on Election day if their precincts are overflowing,” Lamb wrote of the voting centers.
The first vote totals are expected around 6 p.m. Eastern Time when polls close, though voting will continue for an hour in the western reaches of the commonwealth. If you are in line by 6 p.m., you will be allowed to cast a ballot.
This story was originally published October 31, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
