2024 Voter Guide: Everything to know about Kentucky elections, ballot measures & more

A presidential race at the top of the ballot is likely to increase turnout at the polls across the country, but there is far more than the White House on the line this November.

Americans will head to the polls for the 2024 General Election Tuesday, Nov. 5. Polls are open in Kentucky from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time. To see the latest on Election Day in Lexington and across Kentucky, find our live blog here.

On the ballot for many Kentuckians will be a slew of federal, state and local races, along with statewide and local ballot measures.

Lexington voters will have six contested city council races on the ballot — districts 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 and 12 — and three Fayette County Board of Education seats. Many voters will also see Congressional races pertinent to their districts, along with Kentucky state house and senate races.

Statewide, voters will see a ballot question on Amendment 2, a “school choice” initiative that would allow the state to fund private school vouchers using public school funding. Several local measures will also be voted on, including a public park funding referendum before Fayette County voters.

Whether you’ve been keeping up all along or need to do some last-minute reading before you vote this year, you can find extensive coverage of the 2024 election from the Herald-Leader below. This guide has been updated through Election Day.

Kentucky’s three-day early voting period wrapped up Nov. 2, with nearly 792,000 registered voters opting to cast their ballot via in-person excused and no excuse methods. The final day of in-person, no-excuse-needed early voting saw more than 200,000 ballots cast, according to Secretary of State Michael Adams.

If you requested an absentee-by-mail ballot, be sure to mail it back or drop it in a county drop box by 6 p.m. Election Day to ensure it is counted.

What to know about the 2024 General Election & important dates

• Other than president, what’s on your ballot in Kentucky? This is what’s on the line

• It’s time to vote in 2024 General Election. How to find your Kentucky polling place

• Información sobre los lugares de votación en Kentucky para la elección general

• Early voting in Kentucky now open. Here’s how to cast your ballot in the 2024 election

• Guía de votación temprana para Lexington: Fechas importantes y otra información

• Here’s how Kentucky voters can locate sample ballots, candidate info for 2024 election

• Can voters wear campaign gear at the polls in Kentucky? What electioneering laws prohibit

• Is it legal to take a picture of my voted ballot or snap a polling place selfie in KY?

• Will Trump, Harris bring out Kentucky voters in 2024? What to expect from turnout

• Beat the misinformation about voter roll purges. Here’s what to know about KY voter registration

• The internet is loaded with misinformation about the 2024 election. Spot it with these tips

• How did that campaign get your Kentucky phone number? How to stop election calls, texts

• Can stealing or removing someone’s campaign yard sign in Kentucky land you in jail?

• Oct. 22 was the deadline to request a mail-in ballot in Kentucky. Here’s how to do it

State-level races

• Experience, money & partisanship fight define Izzo vs. Goodwine KY Supreme Court race

• Thomas Jefferson & Adam Moore give KY’s 45th House District two very different options

• Stevenson vs. Grossl: Education & economy lead discussion in tight House District 88 race

• Lexington, rural counties faced with marked differences in candidates for KY Senate 27 seat

Congressional races

• Kentucky’s 6th District: Another Democrat struggles to compete as Andy Barr looks ahead

• ‘No threat’: Comer looks for another big win ahead of expected run for Kentucky governor

Lexington/Fayette County races

• Housing and safety: How Lexington’s District 1 candidates want to address the big issues

• Crime, housing top issues in Lexington 2nd District Council race

• Sexual assault allegations hang over contentious 4th Council District race

• Housing, short-term rentals among key issues for Lexington 5th district council seat

• Hadi, Hale face off in race for 7th District seat on Lexington council

• Boone, Walker vie for council seat in Lexington’s massive 12th District

• Incumbent for school board seat in Lexington’s 5th District challenged by former principal

• Advocate, professor and dentist vying for open Fayette school board seat in District 3

• Incumbent faces FCPS parent in District 1 school board race

Ballot measures

• Kentucky voters will see 2 amendments on their 2024 ballots. Here’s what they mean

• Información sobre las enmiendas propuestas para los votantes en Kentucky este año

• What does Amendment 2 actually say? Here’s a summary of the controversial school measure

• Fayette County voters to decide on new tax for public parks. Here’s how much it would cost

• What does Amendment 2 actually say? Here’s a summary of the controversial school measure

• Medical marijuana is legal in KY, but some voters may see it on their ballot. Here’s why

Our latest political coverage

• Voters will see extra security at many Kentucky voting places as tense election ends

• State reps, mayoral fights & a ‘Trump bump?’ 17 races & 5 trends to watch for in Kentucky

• KY election board: No complaints of pre-marked ballots despite viral social media post

• ‘Record’ number of early voters indicates Kentucky will surpass 2020 election turnout

• Laurel Co. pulls ballot-marking machine after viral video claims Trump vote went to Harris

• Who’s funding the Amendment 2 fight? Eight groups fueling the $16M-plus campaign

• 11-person field set in hectic & historic Eastern Kentucky state Senate write-in campaign

• Harris only candidate with ‘intelligence,’ ‘focus’ to be president, Walz says in KY stop

• A boon for families or a bust for public schools? Much at stake with Amendment 2

• Last minute write-in candidate could replace late Eastern Kentucky Sen. Johnnie Turner

• Mailer accuses state Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson of ‘protecting’ Rep. Daniel Grossberg

• Kentucky’s absentee ballot requests signal potentially ‘massive’ voter turnout

• Judge grants 3-year restraining order against Lexington councilwoman for sexual assault

Herald-Leader endorsements and opinions

Note: Endorsements are made by our editorial team and are separate from the work of our reporters.

• Opinion: Wondering who to vote for? Here’s a roundup of Herald-Leader endorsements for Nov. 5
• Herald-Leader endorsements: Lexington’s Council needs more work, less drama. Here are our picks

• Herald-Leader endorsement: In some of Fayette’s most important jobs, here are our school board choices

• Herald-Leader endorsement: A new tax for Lexington’s parks is on the ballot
• Herald-Leader endorsement: In the House 88th District, the best choice is an easy one
  
  

• Herald-Leader endorsement: One candidate has the edge in this Central KY Senate race

• Herald-Leader endorsement: Voters have a clear choice in 6th District Congressional race

• Herald-Leader endorsement: In the purple 45th District, common sense must win the day

• Opinion: A new Amendment 2 mailer, the same old misleading claims about what ballot measure would do
• Opinion: We don’t have to scream and shout about Amendment 2. Here’s proof
• Opinion: Amendment 2 will not raise KY teacher pay despite what its advocates say
• Opinion: ‘Heart of this community.’ In rural KY school districts, Amendment 2 faces hard sell
• Opinion: Lexington families receive flyer with misleading information about Amendment 2
• Opinion: Why is KY voting to ban non-citizens from voting when they already can’t?
• Opinion: With Amendment 2, KY faces existential choice over public schools
• Opinion: In Lexington elections, land use issues should be important. Negative ads should not

To find more letters and op-eds from contributing writers, visit the Herald-Leader’s opinion page.

This story was originally published October 8, 2024 at 5:00 AM.