Librarian
Voting in the Commonwealth: A Guide to the 2023 Election in Kentucky
Voting in the 2023 Elections
The deadline to register to vote in Kentucky is October 10, 2023 by 4:00 p.m. local time.
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 in Kentucky here or nationwide here.
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 starting September 23. The deadline to request an mail-in absentee ballot is October 24.You must have a qualifying excuse to vote by mail. Mail-in ballots must be received by 6:00 pm local time on Election Day, November 7.
In-person, excused absentee voting will be available on the following days: October 25, 26, 27, 30,31, and November 1. This page will be updated with links to polling locations as soon as they are available.
- 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.
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 2, Friday, November 3, and Saturday, November 4. Times and locations for early voting have not yet been announced, but this page will be updated when they are!
Election Day
Polling places to be announced later.
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.
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
- LexEngageEverything you need to know to vote in the 2023 state elections in Kentucky. Administered by CivicLex, a nonprofit civic education & media organization that brings daylight to the issues, policies, and procedures impacting Fayette County.
- Vote411Enter your address to see what issues are on your ballot, who is running for office, and compare candidates side-by-side.
- BallotPediaEnter your address to get information on candidates.
- FactCheck.orgFactCheck.org is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics.
- PolitifactPolitiFact is a nonpartisan fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials. It is run by the Poynter Institute, a nonprofit school for journalists.
- PunditFactThis site, also run by the Poynter Institute, rates the accuracy of statements by political pundits and commentators.