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Voting in the Commonwealth: A Guide to the 2022 General Elections in Kentucky

Voting in the 2022 Elections

The deadline to register to vote in Kentucky is October 11, 2022 by 4:00 p.m. EST.  

Register to vote online: Kentucky Online Voter Registration

You are eligible to vote in Kentucky if you meet the following requirements: 

  • Be a U.S. citizen and a Kentucky resident for at least 28 days before the election
  • Be at least 18 years old by the next General Election
  • Not be a convicted felon, or else have had your civil rights restored
  • Not have been adjudged mentally incompetent and had voting rights removed
  • Not claim the right to vote outside Kentucky

If you don't meet these requirements, learn how to register in your home state here: Register to Vote in Other States

If you're not sure if you're registered, you can confirm your Registration Status here: Check Your Voter Registration Status

Early Voting

Voters who have not requested a mail-in absentee ballot may vote early in person for any reason on the following days: Thursday, November 3, Friday, November 4, and Saturday, November 5. To find out where no-excuse early voting takes place in your county, visit Polling Locations.

  • In Fayette County, you can vote early at the Lexington Senior Center at 195 Life Lane, behind Southland Church on Richmond Road. The location will be open from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

 

Election Day

Find your polling place: Kentucky    Other States

Find out what's on the ballot: Kentucky    Other States

Voter ID: In Kentucky, all voters must produce identification at the polling place. More information on the types of identification that can be provided can be found at the following link: SB 2 FAQ.pdf. Your University of Kentucky student identification card is a valid form of identification for voting.

Absentee Voting

Voters with a qualifying excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day (includes being absent from the county on Election day, illness, and disability) can vote in person early or by mail. Students who temporarily live outside of their home county may vote absentee. 

To vote by mail, request an absentee ballot: The deadline to request an mail-in absentee ballot is October 25.You must have a qualifying excuse to vote by mail. 

In-person, excused absentee voting will be available on the following days: October 26, 27, 28, 31, and November 1 and 2. To find out where excused early voting takes place in your county, visit Polling Locations.

  • In Fayette County, you can vote absentee with an qualifying excuse at the Fayette County Clerk's Office, 162 E Main St, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. 

 

There are two constitutional amendments on the ballot in 2022.

Abortion:

Constitutional Amendment 2 affects the future of abortion rights in the state. It would add the following sentence to the state constitution: "To protect human life, nothing in this constitution shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion or require the funding of abortion." 

After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in June, Kentucky's trigger law went into effect, essentially banning abortion with a narrow exception to protect the health or life of the mother, with no exceptions for victims of rape or incest. However, there is a pending lawsuit which would establish abortion as a state right. If voters were to reject Constitutional Amendment 2, there would be a possibility that abortion could be  established as a right and legalized again. However, if the amendment is approved, it would eliminate abortion rights from the state constitution and would end the pending legal challenges, allowing the current ban to remain in place.. 

Supporters of abortion rights are urging people to vote "No" on the measure, while those who want to continue the current ban on abortions are urging people to vote "Yes." 

Legislative Powers:

Constitutional Amendment 1 would give state legislators more power by allowing the General Assembly to call itself into special session and to extend legislative sessions past the statutory deadlines. The state constitution requires regular sessions to end by March 30 in odd-numbered years and by April 15 in even-numbered years. Currently, only the governor can call legislators into a special session, and sets the agenda for the session. 

Under the proposed amendment, the legislature could be called into a special session by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives for a maximum of 12 days per year. 

Supporters argue that the Legislature should be able to call itself into session, while opponents argue that it would dramatically shift power from the governor to the legislature.

According to the Louisville Courier Journal, "Kentucky is one of just 14 states in which only the governor can call the legislature into a special session. In nearly all of the 36 states where the legislature has this power, they can do so solely through a majority or supermajority vote of each chamber. If approved, Kentucky would be one of just four states where its presiding officers in the House and Senate could initiate a special session without a vote of the legislature." 

Before submitting your ballot, use the non-partisan resources below to learn about the candidates running for office and the measures on the ballot. For each website, enter your address or select "Kentucky" to get relevant information for the Commonwealth. 

Candidate Information