KY · How to vote
Voting in Kentucky.
Three ways to vote, three deadlines. ID rules and vote-by-mail policy below — verify the specifics with the Kentucky Secretary of State at the link.
1Official source of record
Kentucky State Board of Elections
VOTER ID REQUIREMENTS
Kentucky requires a photo ID. Accepted: driver's license, state ID, US government ID, or any Kentucky-issued photo ID. Free voter ID available.
VOTE BY MAIL
Absentee voting available with a valid excuse (out of county, disability, age 62+, etc.). In-person early voting available for 3 days before election.
3NCSL voter ID requirements2026-04-153NCSL absentee + VBM rules2026-04-15
Official action — KY
The state’s own tools, with links to verify.
Each card below routes to the official Kentucky system. Where the state delegates to county Supervisors of Elections, the card says so honestly.
Statewide→
Check my registration
Voter Information Center. Name + DOB + last 4 SSN.
Statewide→
Register / update online
KY DL required (no SSN-only fallback). 29-day pre-election deadline.
Statewide→
Find my polling place
State + county→
Preview my ballot
SOS index of county-clerk sample-ballot pages. Voter selects county.
Statewide→
Request a mail ballot
ABR Web online absentee. KY tightened eligibility post-2021 HB 574 — EXCUSE REQUIRED with broader 'concern of contracting/spreading communicable disease' exception. 14-day pre-election deadline.
Statewide→
Track my mail ballot
Tracker rolled into ABR Web.
Statewide→
See who's on the ballot
Auto-updating filings DB. Filing deadline 2026-01-09 for May 2026 primary.
Statewide→
Statewide ballot measures
KY has no citizen initiative. None certified for Nov 2026.
Statewide→
Live + past results
SBE results; historical archive. Live election-night posted by county.
Statewide→
Election calendar
Primary 2026-05-19, general 2026-11-03.
1UOCAVA · military & overseas voters
Federal deadlines for Kentucky
Active-duty service members, their families, and U.S. citizens overseas have separate deadlines under UOCAVA. Sourced live from the U.S. Federal Voting Assistance Program.
2026-05-19Ballot Request — State PrimaryReceived by*
2026-05-19Ballot Return — State PrimaryReceived by
2026-05-19Registration — State PrimaryBy Mail: Postmarked by
2026-05-19Registration — State PrimaryBy Email or Fax: Received by
2026-11-03Ballot Request — General ElectionReceived by*
2026-11-03Ballot Return — General ElectionReceived by
2026-11-03Registration — General ElectionBy Email or Fax: Received by
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turnout.app/how-to-vote/ky · 2026-05-02 · NCSLOther states
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