Election Day · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
How to vote in Kentucky
The deadlines, early voting, mail ballots and ID rules for Kentucky, and what happens after the polls close. Every fact links to the Kentucky State Board of Elections or the law it comes from. Rules change, and courts sometimes change them close to an election, so confirm anything you are relying on with the state.
Checked against official sources on October 7.
Key dates
- Register online by
Monday, October 5
Online registrations must be received by 4 p.m. local time (KRS 116.045(2)). Kentucky State Board of Elections 2026 Election Calendar.
- Register by mail by
Monday, October 5
Postmarked by October 5. Kentucky State Board of Elections 2026 Election Calendar.
- Register in person by
Monday, October 5
By close of business at the county clerk's office. Kentucky State Board of Elections 2026 Election Calendar.
- Same-day registration
No
Registration books close October 6 through November 9. Kentucky State Board of Elections 2026 Election Calendar.
- Early voting
Thursday, October 29 to Saturday, October 31
No-excuse early in-person voting is Thursday–Saturday, October 29–31. Voters with a qualifying excuse can also vote in person October 21–23 and 26–28.
- How early voting works
Three days of no-excuse early voting (October 29, 30, 31) at sites set by each county. Excused in-person absentee voting runs October 21, 22, 23, 26, 27 and 28 for voters with a listed reason (e.g. out of county, surgery, age/disability/illness, student away, working all hours, election officer).
- Request a mail ballot by
Tuesday, October 20
Online portal at govote.ky.gov closes 11:59 p.m. Eastern; medical-emergency applications are accepted until Election Day.
- Return your mail ballot by
Tuesday, November 3
Received, not postmarked: by the county clerk by 6 p.m. local time on Election Day.
- Election Day polling hours
6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Prevailing local time. Kentucky State Board of Elections 2026 Election Calendar.
Voting by mail
- Who can vote by mail
You need a reason to vote by mail
Mail ballots are for voters who cannot vote in person on Election Day or during early voting: age, disability or illness; out of county or state (including students and military/overseas voters); address confidentiality program; jail detainees not convicted; and medical emergencies within 14 days of the election (notarized application).
- Drop boxes
Yes
Every county has a drop box; locations are on elect.ky.gov.
- Ballots arriving after Election Day
Not counted — your ballot must arrive by the deadline
Mail ballots must be received by 6 p.m. local time on Election Day.
ID at the polls
- The rule
Photo ID requested
The State Board's SB 2 FAQ says photo ID is required, but a voter who cannot obtain one can sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and present a non-photo ID (Social Security card, county ID, credit or debit card and similar), and an election official who knows the voter can confirm their identity with a signed affirmation. The FAQ does not say what happens to a voter with no ID of any kind who is not known to the officer.
- What to bring
Bring a document with your name and photo issued by the U.S. or Kentucky (driver's license, state ID, passport), the military, a U.S. college or university, or a Kentucky city or county government.
State Board of Elections, 'What to bring to vote in-person in Kentucky'.
When will we know results in Kentucky?
How fast results come in depends mostly on when the polls close and when election officials are allowed to start on mail ballots. Totals shown on election night are unofficial until the state certifies them.
- Last polls close
6 p.m. local time (the state spans Eastern and Central time) — 7 p.m. Eastern
6 p.m. Central, in western Kentucky.
- Mail ballots can be processed from
Tuesday, October 20
County boards may meet to review and process mail ballots from 14 days before the election (KRS 117.087(3)(a)). Kentucky State Board of Elections 2026 Election Calendar.
- Mail ballots can be counted from
Tuesday, November 3
County boards meet at 8 a.m. on Election Day to count absentee ballots; results may not be released until after 6 p.m. Kentucky State Board of Elections 2026 Election Calendar.
- Counties finish their count by
Tuesday, November 10
Counties submit certified results (SBE 49) to the Secretary of State by noon, after a hand-to-eye audit; county boards issue certificates of election by November 16. Kentucky State Board of Elections 2026 Election Calendar.
- State certifies results
Monday, November 23
Last day for the State Board of Elections to tabulate and certify (third Monday after the election, KRS 118.425(5)). Kentucky State Board of Elections 2026 Election Calendar.
- Automatic recount
None
No automatic recount. Kentucky State Board of Elections 2026 Election Calendar.
- Requested recount
A candidate may request a recanvass (a re-check of the machine totals) before 4 p.m. on November 10; county boards conduct it November 12. A full recount is sought by petition in court.
KRS 117.305. Kentucky State Board of Elections 2026 Election Calendar.
- Runoff
No general election runoff.
- Ranked-choice voting
Not used
- Votes needed to pass a ballot measure
A simple majority
Simple majority. Ky. Const. § 256: an amendment becomes part of the constitution if a majority of the votes cast for and against it are for it.
What’s on your ballot
Every contest you will vote on, from Congress to school board, with each candidate’s positions and record and the arguments for and against them.
Confirm this with the official source
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Kentucky State Board of Elections.