KENTUCKY

Voter Registration Deadline: 29 days before Election Day.

2026 Election Information

Primary Election: May 19, 2026

• Voter Registration Deadline: April 20, 2026 (online applications must be received by 4:00 pm; paper applications must be postmarked April 20 to be counted)
• Mail-in Ballot Application Deadline: May 5, 2026
• Early Excused, In-Person Voting Period: May 6, 7, 8, 11, 12 & 13, 2026
• Early No-Excuse, In-Person Voting Period (at County Clerk’s Office or other designated place): May 14, 2026 through May 16, 2026

General Election: November 3, 2026

• Voter Registration Deadline: October 5, 2026 (online applications must be received by 4:00 pm; paper applications must be postmarked October 5 to be counted)
• Mail-in Ballot Application Deadline: October 20, 2026
• Early Excused, In-Person Voting Period: October 21, 22, 23, 26, 27 & 28, 2026
• Early No-Excuse, In-Person Voting Period (at County Clerk’s Office or other designated place): October 29, 2026 through October 31, 2026

More information regarding important dates and deadlines is available at https://elect.ky.gov/Resources/Documents/2026%20Election%20Calendar.pdf.

More election information available at: elect.ky.gov

Online voter registration available at: https://vrsws.sos.ky.gov/ovrweb

Mail-in voter registration form available at:  

https://elect.ky.gov/Resources/Documents/SBE%2001%20-%20KY%20Voter%20Registration%20Application%20FILLABLE%20406.pdf

Students have a decision about where to register to vote.

You have a right to register to vote at the address you consider the place where you live, whether that is your family’s home or the place where you attend school. You should update your registration anytime this home address changes.

You may only be registered and vote in one location.

Kentucky’s voter registration form asks for your full Social Security number. Its online registration portal requires your full Social Security number and requests your Kentucky driver’s license or personal ID number.

Each voter must present ID bearing the voter’s name and photograph, and issued by:

• The United States or Commonwealth of Kentucky;
• The U.S. Department of Defense, a branch of the uniformed services, Merchant Marines, or Kentucky National Guard;
• A public or private college, university, or postgraduate technical or professional school located in the U.S.;
• A city government, county government, urban-county government, charter county government, consolidated local government, or unified local government located in Kentucky.

Voters who do not have one of these forms of ID can sign an affirmation and present one of the following forms of ID:

• Social Security card
• A card issued by a Kentucky county bearing the voter’s name and has been approved by the State Board of Elections
• Any identification card bearing the voter’s name and photograph
• A food stamp identification card, electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card, or supplemental nutrition assistance (SNAP) card issued by Kentucky and bearing the voter’s name

For more information about Kentucky’s voter identification requirements, please visit:

https://elect.ky.gov/Voters/Pages/Absentee-Excused-In-Person.aspx

Make a plan. Look up your voting site and hours at:

vrsws.sos.ky.gov/vic

By Mail: A registered Kentucky voter may vote absentee by mail if the voter is:

• A student attending school outside the county they are registered
• Has disability, illness or medical emergency or is in advanced age
• A member of the armed forces or the dependent of a member of the armed forces
• A Kentucky citizen residing outside of the United States
• Incarcerated but not yet convicted of a felony; or
• Working outside the county and are unable to vote all the hours the polling place is open.
• A participant in the Kentucky Secretary of State’s crime victim address confidentiality protection program under state statute
• Temporarily residing outside the state but still eligible to vote in Kentucky
• Additional options exist for people who move to a new state after the registration deadline in their new state. Contact your election official if this applies to you.

Kentucky residents can apply online for an absentee ballot on the State Board of Elections website. If you are unable to access the online portal, please call or visit your county clerk’s office to request an absentee ballot online.

• Absentee Ballot Application Deadline: The deadline to apply for a mailed absentee ballot is 14 days before Election Day.
• Completed Absentee Ballot Return Deadline: Your completed absentee ballot must be received by the county clerk by the close of polls on Election Day.

Early In-Person: Any registered Kentucky voter who qualifies may cast an absentee ballot early in-person during the six (6) business days immediately before the last Thursday before Election Day. Those who qualify include, but are not limited to:

• A student that is temporarily residing outside of their county of residence and will be absent from the county on election day and during the no-excuse in-person absentee voting period;
• An individual who has surgery that will require hospitalization on the day of the election and during the days of no-excuse in-person absentee voting;
• Someone temporarily residing outside of the state that will be absent from their county of residence on election day or during the no-excuse in-person absentee voting period;
• A resident of Kentucky who is a uniformed-service member confined to a military base on election day or during the no-excuse absentee voting period;
• Someone in the last trimester of pregnancy;
• Any person prevented from voting in person at the polls on election day and from casting a no-excuse in-person absentee ballot during the no-excuse absentee voting period because they will be absent from their county of residence during all days and hours no-excuse absentee voting is offered.

For more information on who may qualify for excused in-person absentee voting, please contact your county clerk’s office.

Any Kentucky voter can vote early without an excuse on the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before Election Day. For early in-person absentee/early voting locations and hours, please contact your county clerk’s office.

Election Day: Voting sites will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Election Day. If you are in line by the closing time, then you have a right to vote.

Does Registering to Vote Affect my Federal Financial Aid?

Where you register to vote will not affect federal financial aid such as Pell Grants, Perkins or Stafford loans, or your dependency status for FAFSA.

Does Registering to Vote Affect my Status as a Dependent on My Parents’ Taxes?

Being registered to vote at a different address from your parents does not prevent them from claiming you as a dependent on their taxes.

Does Registering to Vote impact my Tuition Status?

Being deemed out-of-state for tuition purposes does not prevent you from choosing to register to vote in your campus community.

Will registering to vote in Kentucky affect my driver’s license or car registration?

As a new resident of Kentucky, you may be required to make changes to your driver’s license or car registration regardless of whether you register to vote there. You may wish to contact the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.