Kentucky Election Day 2026: What’s on Your Ballot and What You Need to Know

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A quick guide to the races, rules, and deadlines for Tuesday, Nov. 3

Kentucky voters head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3. There’s no presidential or governor’s race this year, but the ballot includes a U.S. Senate seat, all six U.S. House seats, and a constitutional amendment. Here’s what to know before you go. wbko

Polling hours

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time. Anyone in line at 6 p.m. is allowed to vote. You can look up your polling place at govote.ky.gov. lex18 linknky

What to bring

Kentucky law requires voters to show photo ID before signing the electronic poll book and casting a ballot. Accepted IDs include a federal or Kentucky-issued photo ID, a military ID, a photo ID from a college or technical school, and a photo ID issued by a Kentucky city or county. Voters who can’t obtain a photo ID can sign an oath instead, so check the state’s election guide if you’re in that situation. 2026 Kentucky Election Guide +2

Voting by mail

Mail-in absentee ballots must be received by 6 p.m. on Election Day and can’t be dropped off at your polling place. Return them by mail, at a drop box, or at your local election office. Since the mail-in request deadline has passed, anyone who didn’t get a ballot should contact their county clerk about options. pflag

Registration and early voting

The deadline to register for this election was Oct. 5, so new registrations can’t be completed in time for Tuesday. In-person no-excuse early voting ran Oct. 29–31. Election Day is the remaining option for in-person voting. kyky

What’s on the ballot

U.S. Senate. The seat is open because Mitch McConnell isn’t running. Republican Andy Barr faces Democrat Charles Booker. spectrumnews1

U.S. House. All six districts are on the ballot. The Kentucky Lantern calls the 6th District, where Republican Ralph Alvarado faces Democrat Zach Dembo, the state’s most competitive House race. In the 4th District, Republican Ed Gallrein faces Democrat Melissa Strange after defeating Rep. Thomas Massie in the primary. newsfromthestates spectrumnews1

Constitutional Amendment 1. It would prohibit the governor from issuing pardons or commuting sentences in the 60 days before a gubernatorial election and until after the fifth Tuesday following it. A “yes” vote approves the change, and a “no” vote keeps current law. It appears at the end of the ballot, so remember to vote both sides. ballotpedia s3

Local races. In Louisville, Mayor Craig Greenberg faces Metro Council member Shameka Parrish-Wright in the city’s first nonpartisan general election, and all 26 Metro Council seats are up. State legislative and other local races vary by area. louisvillecardinal

Where to get official information

Kentucky State Board of Elections: elect.ky.gov
Polling place lookup: govote.ky.gov
Your county clerk’s office, for local questions