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Democratic Party primaries in Kentucky, 2022

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2024
2020

Democratic Party primaries, 2022

Kentucky Democratic Party.png

Primary Date
May 17, 2022

Federal elections
Democratic primaries for U.S. House

State party
Democratic Party of Kentucky
State political party revenue

This page focuses on the Democratic primaries that took place in Kentucky on May 17, 2022.

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Kentucky utilizes a closed primary process, in which the selection of a party's candidates in an election is limited to registered party members.[1][2][3]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Federal elections

U.S. Senate

See also: United States Senate election in Kentucky, 2022 (May 17 Democratic primary)

The 2022 U.S. Senate elections in Kentucky took place on November 8, 2022. Voters elected one candidate to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Democratic Party Democratic primary candidates


Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

U.S. House

See also: United States House elections in Kentucky, 2022 (May 17 Democratic primaries)
The 2022 U.S. House of Representatives elections in Kentucky took place on November 8, 2022. Voters elected six candidates to serve in the U.S. House, one from each of the state's six congressional districts. To see a full list of candidates in the primary in each district, click "Show more" below.
Show more

District 1

Democratic Party Democratic primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate advanced:


Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 2

Democratic Party Democratic primary candidates


Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 3

Democratic Party Democratic primary candidates

District 4

Democratic Party Democratic primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate advanced:


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 5

Democratic Party Democratic primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate advanced:


Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 6

Democratic Party Democratic primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:
Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

State elections

State Senate

See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2022
The Kentucky State Senate was one of 88 state legislative chambers with elections in 2022. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. In 2020, 86 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections. To see a full list of state Senate candidates in the Democratic primaries, click "Show more" below.
Show more

Kentucky State Senate elections, 2022

  • Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
  • Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
  • * = The primary was canceled and the candidate advanced.
Office Democratic Party Democratic Republican Party Republican Other
District 2

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngDanny Carroll* (i)

District 4

Green check mark transparent.pngBruce Pritchett*  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngRobby Mills (i)
Roxan Ashby  Candidate Connection

Did not make the ballot:
Michael MacDonald 

District 6

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Bill Ferko  Candidate Connection
Green check mark transparent.pngLindsey Tichenor  Candidate Connection

District 8

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngGary Boswell*

District 10

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngMatthew Deneen*

District 12

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Did not make the ballot:
Paula Setser-Kissick 

Green check mark transparent.pngAmanda Bledsoe*

Did not make the ballot:
Ross Mann 

District 14

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngJimmy Higdon* (i)

District 16

Green check mark transparent.pngJusty Engle*  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngMax Wise* (i)

District 18

Green check mark transparent.pngRobin Webb* (i)

The Republican primary was canceled.


District 20

Green check mark transparent.pngTeresa Azbill Barton*

Phyllis Sparks
Calen Studler  Candidate Connection
Mike Templeman
Green check mark transparent.pngGex Williams  Candidate Connection

Did not make the ballot:
Aaron Reed 
Wayne Karem 

District 22

Green check mark transparent.pngChuck Eddy*

Green check mark transparent.pngDonald Douglas (i)
Andrew Cooperrider  Candidate Connection

District 24

Green check mark transparent.pngRene Heinrich*

Green check mark transparent.pngShelley Funke Frommeyer
Jessica Neal  Candidate Connection
Chris Robinson

District 26

Green check mark transparent.pngKaren Berg* (i)

Everett Corley  Candidate Connection
Mark Hignite Downer
Green check mark transparent.pngJames Peden

District 28

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngRalph Alvarado* (i)

District 30

Green check mark transparent.pngSid Allen
Terry Salyer

Green check mark transparent.pngBrandon Smith* (i)

District 32

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngMike Wilson* (i)

District 34

Green check mark transparent.pngSusan Cintra*  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngJared Carpenter (i)
Rhonda Goode

District 36

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngJulie Raque Adams* (i)

Did not make the ballot:
Sheeba Jolly  Candidate Connection

District 38

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngMike Nemes* (i)

Did not make the ballot:
Allen Maricle 


House of Representatives

See also: Kentucky House of Representatives elections, 2022
The Kentucky House of Representatives was one of 88 state legislative chambers with elections in 2022. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. In 2020, 86 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections. To see a full list of state House candidates in the Democratic primaries, click "Show more" below.
Show more

Kentucky House of Representatives elections, 2022

  • Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
  • Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
  • * = The primary was canceled and the candidate advanced.
Office Democratic Party Democratic Republican Party Republican Other
District 1

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngSteven Rudy (i)
Christopher Tucker  Candidate Connection

District 2

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngRichard Heath* (i)

Did not make the ballot:
Kimberly Holloway  Candidate Connection

District 3

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngRandy Bridges* (i)

District 4

Green check mark transparent.pngByron Hobgood*

Did not make the ballot:
Ronnie Heady 

David Sharp
Green check mark transparent.pngD. Wade Williams

Did not make the ballot:
Kristopher Driver 
Bobby Girvin 

District 5

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngMary Imes* (i)

District 6

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngChris Freeland* (i)

District 7

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngSuzanne Miles* (i)

District 8

Green check mark transparent.pngPam Dossett*

Green check mark transparent.pngWalker Thomas (i)
Larry Curling

District 9

Green check mark transparent.pngBianca Crockam*  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngMyron Dossett* (i)

District 10

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngJosh Calloway* (i)

District 11

Green check mark transparent.pngVelvet Dowdy*  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngJonathan Dixon* (i)

District 12

Green check mark transparent.pngAlan Lossner*

Lynn Bechler (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngJim Gooch Jr. (i)

District 13

Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Johnson*  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngD.J. Johnson* (i)  Candidate Connection

District 14

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngScott Lewis* (i)

District 15

Green check mark transparent.pngBritt Hernandez-Stevenson*  Candidate Connection

Timothy Dukes
Green check mark transparent.pngRebecca Raymer

District 16

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngJason Petrie* (i)

District 17

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngRobert Duvall*

District 18

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngSamara Heavrin (i)
Jacob Clark  Candidate Connection

District 19

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Meredith* (i)

District 20

Green check mark transparent.pngPatti Minter* (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngKevin Jackson
Leanette Lopez  Candidate Connection

District 21

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Jimmy Carter
Terry David Dubree
Joshua Wes Ellis
Daniel Thomas Glass  Candidate Connection
Green check mark transparent.pngAmy Neighbors

District 22

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngShawn McPherson* (i)

District 23

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngSteve Riley* (i)

District 24

Johnny Pennington
Green check mark transparent.pngKeith Pruitt

Green check mark transparent.pngBrandon Reed (i)
Courtney Gilbert  Candidate Connection

Did not make the ballot:
Robert Hickman  Candidate Connection

District 25

Green check mark transparent.pngKatherine Leonard*  Candidate Connection

Bill Bennett
Green check mark transparent.pngSteve Bratcher

Did not make the ballot:
Stan Routt 

District 26

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngRussell Webber (i)

Did not make the ballot:
Derek McAllister 

District 27

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngNancy Tate* (i)

District 28

Green check mark transparent.pngCharles Miller (i)
Almaria Baker  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngJared Bauman*

Did not make the ballot:
Ryan Thompson 

District 29

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Did not make the ballot:
Suzanne Kugler 

Green check mark transparent.pngKevin Bratcher* (i)

District 30

Thomas Burch (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngDaniel Grossberg  Candidate Connection
Neal Turpin  Candidate Connection

The Republican primary was canceled.


District 31

Green check mark transparent.pngSue Foster
Derek Penwell

Flint Breckinridge
Green check mark transparent.pngSusan Tyler Witten

District 32

Green check mark transparent.pngTina Bojanowski* (i)

The Republican primary was canceled.


District 33

Green check mark transparent.pngKate Turner*  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngJason Michael Nemes* (i)

District 34

Jonathan Lowe
Green check mark transparent.pngSarah Stalker  Candidate Connection

The Republican primary was canceled.


District 35

Green check mark transparent.pngLisa Willner* (i)

The Republican primary was canceled.


District 36

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Richard Crawford
Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Hodgson  Candidate Connection
David Howser  Candidate Connection

District 37

Green check mark transparent.pngJeffery M. Donohue* (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngEmily Callaway  Candidate Connection
Jimmy Maricle

District 38

Green check mark transparent.pngRachel Roarx*  Candidate Connection

Did not make the ballot:
McKenzie Cantrell (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngCharles Breitenbach*

District 39

Green check mark transparent.pngGwendolyn Mitchell*

Green check mark transparent.pngMatt Lockett* (i)

District 40

Green check mark transparent.pngNima Kulkarni* (i)

The Republican primary was canceled.


District 41

Green check mark transparent.pngJosie Raymond (i)
Darryl Young Jr.

Did not make the ballot:
Mary Lou Marzian (i)
Joshua Alexander Crowder 

Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell  Candidate Connection
Green check mark transparent.pngCarrie Sanders McKeehan  Candidate Connection
Bryan Shepherd

District 42

Green check mark transparent.pngKeturah Herron* (i)

The Republican primary was canceled.


District 43

Green check mark transparent.pngPamela Stevenson (i)
Robert LeVertis Bell

The Republican primary was canceled.


District 44

Green check mark transparent.pngBeverly Chester-Burton*

Did not make the ballot:
Joni Jenkins (i)

The Republican primary was canceled.


District 45

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngKillian Timoney* (i)

District 46

Green check mark transparent.pngAlan Gentry* (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngSylvia Mond*

District 47

Green check mark transparent.pngKimberly Hinkel Browning*  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngFelicia Rabourn* (i)

District 48

Green check mark transparent.pngMaria Sorolis*

Did not make the ballot:
Amanda Corzine 

Green check mark transparent.pngKen Fleming* (i)

District 49

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngThomas Huff* (i)

District 50

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Chad McCoy (i)
John Bradley
Green check mark transparent.pngCandy Massaroni

District 51

Green check mark transparent.pngJennifer Wheeler*  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Pollock* (i)

District 52

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngKen Upchurch (i)
Othel King

District 53

Green check mark transparent.pngDustin Burley*

Green check mark transparent.pngJames A. Tipton* (i)

District 54

Green check mark transparent.pngElaine Wilson-Reddy*  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngDaniel Elliott* (i)

District 55

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngKim King (i)
Tony Wheatley  Candidate Connection

District 56

Benjamin Nolan
Green check mark transparent.pngGrayson Vandegrift  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngDaniel Fister* (i)

District 57

Green check mark transparent.pngDerrick Graham* (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngGary Stratton*

District 58

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngJennifer Decker* (i)

District 59

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Osborne (i)
Bridgette Ehly  Candidate Connection

District 60

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Sal Santoro (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngMarianne Proctor  Candidate Connection

District 61

Green check mark transparent.pngDebby Lucas Angel*  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngSavannah Maddox (i)
Jarrod Lykins  Candidate Connection

District 62

Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Robinson*

Green check mark transparent.pngPhillip Pratt (i)
Michelle Nance  Candidate Connection

District 63

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngKimberly Banta* (i)

District 64

Green check mark transparent.pngAnita Isaacs*

Green check mark transparent.pngKimberly Moser (i)
Christopher Mann

District 65

Green check mark transparent.pngCharles Wheatley* (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngStephanie A. Dietz*

District 66

Green check mark transparent.pngTim Montgomery*

C. Ed Massey (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngSteve Rawlings

District 67

Green check mark transparent.pngRachel Roberts* (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngJerry Gearding*

District 68

Green check mark transparent.pngKelly Jones*

Green check mark transparent.pngMike Clines
Mirna Eads  Candidate Connection
Paul Kloeker

Did not make the ballot:
Chris Robinson 

District 69

Green check mark transparent.pngChris Brown*

Adam Koenig (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngSteven Doan  Candidate Connection

District 70

Green check mark transparent.pngMeagan Brannon*

Green check mark transparent.pngWilliam Lawrence* (i)

District 71

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngJosh Bray* (i)

District 72

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngMatthew Koch* (i)

District 73

Green check mark transparent.pngThomas Adams III  Candidate Connection
Rory Houlihan

Green check mark transparent.pngRyan Dotson* (i)

District 74

Green check mark transparent.pngBennie Deskins*

Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Hale* (i)

District 75

Green check mark transparent.pngLindsey Burke
Chris Couch

The Republican primary was canceled.


District 76

Green check mark transparent.pngRuth Palumbo* (i)

The Republican primary was canceled.


District 77

Green check mark transparent.pngGeorge A. Brown Jr.* (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngTerry Cunningham*  Candidate Connection

District 78

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngMark Hart* (i)

District 79

Green check mark transparent.pngChad Aull
Justin Bramhall

Did not make the ballot:
Susan Westrom (i)

The Republican primary was canceled.


District 80

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Meade* (i)

District 81

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngDeanna Frazier Gordon* (i)

District 82

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngNick Wilson*

District 83

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngJoshua Branscum* (i)

District 84

Green check mark transparent.pngTheresa Combs*

Green check mark transparent.pngChris Fugate* (i)

District 85

Green check mark transparent.pngBryon Vaught*  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngShane Baker* (i)

Did not make the ballot:
John P. Alexander 
Daniel Carmack 

District 86

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngTom Smith (i)
Keith Dinsmore

District 87

Green check mark transparent.pngGary Smith*  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngAdam Bowling* (i)

District 88

Green check mark transparent.pngCherlynn Stevenson* (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngJim Coleman*

District 89

Green check mark transparent.pngBrittany Oliver*  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngTimmy Truett* (i)

District 90

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngDerek Lewis* (i)

District 91

Green check mark transparent.pngMartina Jackson*

Green check mark transparent.pngBilly Wesley (i)
Darrell Billings

District 92

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Blanton* (i)

District 93

Green check mark transparent.pngLamin Swann*

Did not make the ballot:
Jeff Kender 

Green check mark transparent.pngKyle Whalen*

District 94

Green check mark transparent.pngAngie Hatton* (i)

Brandon Edwards
Green check mark transparent.pngJacob Justice  Candidate Connection

District 95

Green check mark transparent.pngAshley Laferty* (i)

David Pennington
Green check mark transparent.pngBrandon Spencer

District 96

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngPatrick Flannery* (i)

District 97

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Did not make the ballot:
Barbi Maynard 

Norma Kirk-McCormick (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngBobby McCool (i)

District 98

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngDanny Bentley (i)
James Campbell  Candidate Connection

District 99

Green check mark transparent.pngKevin Anderson
Edward Frazier

Green check mark transparent.pngRichard White* (i)

District 100

The Democratic primary was canceled.


Green check mark transparent.pngScott Sharp* (i)


Primary election competitiveness

See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2022

This section contains information about the primary election competitiveness of election in Kentucky. For more information about this data, click here.


U.S. Senate competitiveness

U.S. House competitiveness

Post-filing deadline analysis

The following analysis covers all U.S. House districts up for election in Kentucky in 2022. Information below was calculated on Feb. 22, 2022, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.

Thirty-one candidates filed to run for Kentucky's six U.S. House districts in 2022, including nine Democrats and 22 Republicans. This equals 5.2 candidates per district, the most candidates per district since 2014.

This was the first candidate filing deadline under new district lines adopted during the state's decennial redistricting process. Kentucky was apportioned six districts, the same number it received after the 2010 census.

One district—Kentucky's 3rd—was left open with Rep. John Yarmuth (D) retiring from politics. Yarmuth first won election in 2006 after defeating Rep. Anne Northup (R). The 2022 filing deadline marked the first time since 1994 that the district had been left open. The 3rd District drew the largest number of major party candidate filings overall: two Democrats and seven Republicans.

The remaining five incumbents—all Republicans—filed for re-election. Of those five, four drew primary challengers, the same number as 2020.

Eight of the 12 possible major party primaries (67%) drew more than one candidate leaving them contested. This represents more contested primaries than in 2020 and the same number as 2018.

State legislative competitiveness

Post-filing deadline analysis

The following analysis covers all state legislative districts up for election in Kentucky in 2022. Information below was calculated on Feb. 17, 2022, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.

In 2022, 256 candidates filed for to run in Kentucky's 119 state legislative districts: 88 Democrats and 168 Republicans. This equals 2.2 candidates per district, up from 2.0 in 2020 but lower than the 2.4 in 2018.

Of the 119 districts holding elections, either a Democrat or Republican was likely to win 61 (51.3%) because no candidates from the opposing party filed. Democrats were likely to win 12 districts—one in the Senate and 11 in the House—because no Republicans filed to run for them. Republicans were likely to win 49 districts—nine in the Senate and 40 in the House. This represented the least amount of major party competition in the state since 2012 when 63 districts saw no major party competition (52.9%).

Twenty-one of the 119 districts holding elections (17.6%) were open following the filing deadline, meaning no incumbent filed to run. This was a larger percentage than in 2020 (14.2%) but lower than 2018 (18.5%). Four of these districts were open because the incumbents representing those districts were drawn into new districts as a result of redistricting.

Following the filing deadline, there were 59 contested primaries scheduled out of a possible 238 (24.8%), the largest number of contested primaries in the state since at least 2014.

Context of the 2022 elections

Kentucky Party Control: 1992-2025
Eight years of Democratic trifectas  •  Three years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R D D D D D D
Senate D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R

State party overview

Democratic Party of Kentucky

See also: Democratic Party of Kentucky

State political party revenue

See also: State political party revenue and State political party revenue per capita

State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws.

The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following map displays total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic state party affiliates.


Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Kentucky utilizes a closed primary process, in which the selection of a party's candidates in an election is limited to registered party members.[1][2][4]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

In Kentucky, all polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Central and Eastern Time. All those in line by 6:00 p.m. will be permitted to vote.[5]

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

According to the Kentucky State Board of Elections, in order to register to vote, a person must:[6]

  • Be a U.S. citizen and a Kentucky resident for at least 28 days before the election.
    • Non-U.S. citizens, including U.S. nationals do not qualify;
  • Be at least 18 years old by the next General Election;
    • Kentucky law allows qualified individuals to register at 17 years of age and be able to participate in a Primary Election if the individual will be 18 years old by the General Election;
  • Not be a convicted felon (or, if convicted of a felony, my right to vote has been restored following an expungement, Executive Pardon, or Executive Order;
  • Not have been judged mentally incompetent in a court of law and have voting rights removed;
  • Not claim the right to vote outside Kentucky.[7]

The deadline to submit a voter registration application is 29 days before an election, unless that day is a state or federal holiday.[8] If mailed, applications must be postmarked by that deadline.[9]

Voter registration applications may be completed online, mailed to the county clerk's office, or submitted in person at the county clerk's office.[6]

Automatic registration

Kentucky does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Kentucky has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Kentucky does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

Kentucky law requires 28 days of residency in the state before a person may vote.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Kentucky does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, "per KRS 119.025, any person who causes himself to be registered when he is not legally entitled to register, shall be subject to penalties including fines and/or a term of imprisonment not less than one (1) year nor more than (5) years."[10]

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[11] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Voter Information Center site, run by the Kentucky State Board of Elections, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.


Voter ID requirements

Kentucky requires voters to present identification while voting.[12][13]

Voters can present the following forms of identification:

  • Driver’s license
  • Social Security card
  • County issued identification card approved in writing by the State Board of Elections
  • U.S. government-issued identification card
  • Kentucky state government-issued identification card with a picture
  • Any form of ID containing both picture and signature

If a precinct officer is a personal acquaintance of the voter, the voter does not have to produce identification.

Early voting

Kentucky permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

A Kentucky voter is eligible to vote absentee in an election if he or she cannot make it to the polls on Election Day for one of the following reasons:[14]

  • The voter is advanced in age, disabled, or ill
  • The voter is a member of the United States Military or is a dependent of a member of the military
  • The voter is an overseas citizen
  • The voter is a student who temporarily resides outside the county
  • The voter is temporarily residing outside of Kentucky and maintains eligibility to vote in Kentucky, such as a "snowbird"
  • The voter is incarcerated, but not yet convicted of a crime
  • The voter is unable to vote in-person because of his or her employment location
  • The voter is a participant in the Secretary of State's crime victim address confidentiality protection program
  • The voter is subject to a medical emergency within fourteen days or less of an election
  • The voter has change their residence or registered in a new state after the date on which that state closes their registration before a presidential election, than the voter may cast an absentee ballot by mail in Kentucky

Absentee ballots can only be requested through an online portal established by the State Board of Elections. Disabled, military and overseas, and voters subject to medical emergencies may also request an absentee ballot through their county clerk. Eligible voters who do not have internet access may give their information to a county clerk by phone to request an absentee ballot.[15]

State law allows for the portal to be open between 45 and 14 days immediately preceding a primary or general election.[15]


Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

One of 120 Kentucky counties—0.83 percent—is a pivot county. Pivot counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 pivot counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Elliott County, Kentucky 44.13% 2.50% 25.17%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Kentucky with 62.5 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 32.7 percent. In presidential elections between 1792 and 2016, Kentucky voted Democratic 45.6 percent of the time and Republican 26.3 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Kentucky voted Republican all five times.[16]

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Kentucky. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[17][18]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 18 out of 100 state House districts in Kentucky with an average margin of victory of 24.5 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 18 out of 100 state House districts in Kentucky with an average margin of victory of 25 points. Clinton won one district controlled by a Republican heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 82 out of 100 state House districts in Kentucky with an average margin of victory of 32.8 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 82 out of 100 state House districts in Kentucky with an average margin of victory of 42 points. Trump won 20 districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.


See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," February 06, 2024
  2. 2.0 2.1 Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
  3. Kentucky State Board of Elections,"Key Information," accessed July 26, 2024
  4. Kentucky State Board of Elections,"Key Information," accessed July 26, 2024
  5. Kentucky State Board of Elections, "Election Day Information," accessed July 26, 2024
  6. 6.0 6.1 Commonwealth of Kentucky State Board of Elections, "Registration," accessed July 26, 2024
  7. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  8. Kentucky General Assembly, "116.045 Voter registration, transfer, or change of party affiliation -- Availability of forms," accessed July 24, 2024
  9. Kentucky General Assembly, "116.0452 Standards for timely receipt of voter registration application -- Removal of names from registration books -- Confidentiality of registration location," accessed July 24, 2024
  10. Commonwealth of Kentucky State Board of Elections, "Commonwealth of Kentucky Voter Registration Application," accessed November 1, 2024
  11. Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
  12. Kentucky State Board of Elections, "Election Day Information," accessed July 25, 2024
  13. FindLaw.com, "Kentucky Revised Statutes Title X. Elections § 117.227. Confirmation of voter's identity," accessed July 25, 2024
  14. Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 117, "117.076 No-excuse in-person absentee ballot -- Excused in-person absentee ballot -- Proof of identification -- In-person absentee voting procedure -- Voter assistance form -- Oath of voter affidavit -- Signature roster -- Members of county board may serve as precinct officers -- Challengers -- Locking of voting equipment -- Transmitting or publicizing count -- Tamper-resistant seal -- Administrative regulations.," accessed July 25, 2024
  15. 15.0 15.1 Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 117, "117.085 Mail-in absentee ballots -- Application through online portal and other means -- Procedures -- Cancellation -- Administrative regulations -- Disclosure of information." accessed July 25, 2024
  16. 270towin.com, "Kentucky," accessed June 1, 2017
  17. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  18. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017