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Kentucky
Voting Guide
Registration Deadlines and Election Dates
Voter Registration Deadline: 29 days before Election Day
2023
Primary Election Voter Registration Deadline (online applications must be received by 4:00PM; paper applications must be postmarked April 17 to be counted): April 17
Primary Election: May 16
General Election Voter Registration Deadline (online applications must be received by 4:00PM; paper applications must be postmarked April 17 to be counted): October 10
General Election: November 7
Official Election Websites
More election information available at: elect.ky.gov
Online voter registration available at: vrsws.sos.ky.gov/ovrweb
Mail-in voter registration form available at: bit.ly/KY_Mail_RegToVote
Register at School or Home
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.
What Type of ID Do I Need to Register?
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.
What Type of ID Do I Need to Vote?
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 student ID issued by an institution of higher education in the United States; or
A municipality 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 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 card, or supplemental nutrition assistance card issued by Kentucky and bearing the voter’s name
For more information about Kentucky's voter identification requirements, please visit:
How Can I Vote?
By Mail
A registered Kentucky voter may vote absentee by mail if the voter is:
A student attending school outside the county where you 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.
The deadline to apply for a mailed absentee ballot is 14 days before Election Day.
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. 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.
Common Questions/Concerns
Registering to Vote Does Not Affect Your:
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.
Status as a Dependent on Your 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.
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.
Fair Elections Center and Campus Vote Project intend the information contained herein to be used only as a general guide. This document should not be used as a substitute for consultation with a licensed Kentucky legal professional.
Last updated April 2023