Election Day in Kentucky: Polling places are open for voting in primaries
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- Polls in Kentucky are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time for primary voting.
- The Attorney General’s Election Fraud Hotline operates live from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- State primaries include contests to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell.
It’s primary day in Kentucky and polls are open around the state from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time; voters will decide who will be on the ballot in November for major races across the commonwealth.
The Election Fraud Hotline, 800-328-8683 or online, is available to report suspected election law violations. On Election Day, the hotline is answered live by members of the state attorney general’s team from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time.
As of 9:30 a.m., there were 23 Election Day complaints, including three in Fayette County, according to the Attorney General’s office. The Fayette County calls apparently involved one potential campaign violation, one complaint of electioneering and one procedural question.
Before in-person voting began, there were 296 complaints for 2026.
To find out where to cast your ballot, go to elect.ky.gov. The last day to register to vote in the primary was April 20.
Secretary of State Michael Adams has predicted voter turnout could top 20% this time, higher than in previous primaries. Requests for absentee ballots were up and turnout was strong for no-excuse early voting on May 14-16.
Adams reported that through Saturday, 184,992 Kentuckians had voted, 5.4% of all those registered. Pre-election day turnout was up significantly from the early voting in the last comparable election, the midterm primary in May 2022, Adams said.
In Fayette County, there were 10,292 votes were cast before Tuesday.
What races are on the primary ballot?
There are several hotly contests races on the ballot, including candidates for Congress, the state legislature, Lexington mayor and city council and judicial seats.
You must be registered either Democrat or Republican to vote in party primaries, but Independents can vote in non-partisan city and judicial races.
In Fayette County, incumbent Mayor Linda Gorton is facing several challengers, including first-time candidate Raquel Carter, who has out-raised Gorton ahead of the primary. There are five other challengers on the nonpartisan ballot; the top two finishers move onto the November general election. District council seats with primary challengers are also on the ballot.
At the top of the ballot statewide will be primaries for the contenders to replace U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, who is retiring. On the Republican side, U.S. Rep. Andy Barr and former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron are the frontrunners, while on the Democratic ballot, it’s Charles Booker vs. Amy McGrath.
All six of Kentucky’s U.S. House of Representatives seats are on the ballot in 2026, with primaries on both sides in many of them.
But the hottest contests are:
- Northern Kentucky’s 4th District, where incumbent Republican Rep. Thomas Massie is facing challenger Ed Gallrein, who has been endorsed by President Trump.
- Central Kentucky’s 6th District, where Trump has endorsed former Kentucky Sen. Ralph Alvarado over five Republican challengers; six Democrats are vying for the chance to retake the seat being vacated by Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Barr.
Get up to speed on the biggest races in Kentucky with our voter guide here.
This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 6:04 AM.
