2026 Voting Guides

Kentucky voting guide

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Here’s what you need to vote in Kentucky.

Key Dates

  • Last day to request a mail ballot online (11:59 p.m. Eastern)
  • Excused in-person absentee voting begins (Oct. 21–23, 26–28; reason required)
  • Last day to cancel a mail ballot and vote in person instead
  • Excused in-person absentee voting ends
  • No-excuse early in-person voting begins
  • No-excuse early in-person voting ends
  • Election Day: polls 6 a.m.–6 p.m.; mail ballots must be received by 6 p.m.
  • Counties certify results to the Secretary of State (noon); recanvass request deadline (4 p.m.)
  • State Board of Elections certifies results (deadline)

Make a Voting Plan

Choose to vote early in person, by mail or on Election Day.

  • Vote early in person from Thurs., Oct. 29 to Sat., Oct. 31.
  • Vote by mail. You can vote by mail if you are:
    • Out of your county on Election Day and all early voting days
    • Can't get to the polls due to age, disability, or illness
    • Student living away from your county
    • Military or living overseas
    • Living out of state for now
    • In jail but not convicted
    • In the state address confidentiality program
    • Medical emergency within 14 days of the election

    Request a ballot by Tues., Oct. 20. Request a mail ballot
    Return it by Tues., Nov. 3.
    Problem with your ballot? If your signature is missing or doesn't match, election officials will contact you to fix it. Track your ballot
  • Vote on Election Day, Tues., Nov. 3, 6 a.m.–6 p.m. local time. Find your polling place. Check the official ID rules so you bring the right ID.
  • Have a past conviction?
    • For most nonviolent Kentucky felonies, your right to vote comes back once you finish your sentence.
    • For violent crimes or federal or out-of-state felonies, you must ask the governor.
    • Check at civilrightsrestoration.ky.gov, then register to vote.

What’s on Your Ballot

These are the biggest races in Kentucky this year. Please note, we do not endorse any candidates.

U.S. Senate

  • Andy Barr Republican · Campaign site
  • U.S. Representative for Kentucky's 6th District (Lexington area) since 2013; lawyer.
  • Charles Booker Democratic · Campaign site
  • Former Kentucky state representative from Louisville (2019–2021); led Gov. Beshear's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (2023–2025).

Stance on key issues

Voting rights & elections

Andy Barr Republican

Voted for the SAVE Act (2025), which would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. Source

Charles Booker Democratic

Supports term limits for Congress and banning members from trading stocks or becoming lobbyists. Says his campaign does not take corporate PAC money. Source

Policing, prisons & public safety

Andy Barr Republican

Voted for the Thin Blue Line Act and the Protect and Serve Act to raise penalties for attacking police. Opposes ending cash bail. Source

Charles Booker Democratic

Said in 2022 that he did not want to cut police funding. Supports community safety programs that bring police, faith leaders, and businesses together on root causes of crime. Source

Immigration

Andy Barr Republican

Has said all "criminal illegals" must be deported. Supports restarting border wall construction, reinstating Remain in Mexico, and ending catch and release. Source

Charles Booker Democratic

Has said ICE should be abolished. Calls for an immigration system "rooted in humanity" that ends the "deportation industrial complex." Source

Abortion & health care

Andy Barr Republican

Opposes taxpayer funding of abortion. Signed a brief asking the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and called the 2022 ruling a "historic victory for life." Source

Charles Booker Democratic

Opposed Kentucky's abortion ban and pledged in 2022 to vote to put a federal right to abortion into law. Source

Economy, taxes & cost of living

Andy Barr Republican

Voted for the 2025 budget law (One Big Beautiful Bill Act), including no tax on tips or overtime. Has said he wants to cut taxes for every Kentuckian. Source

Charles Booker Democratic

Supports ending President Trump's tariff "national emergency" and suspending the federal gas tax for a year. Supports tax cuts for working and middle-class families. Source

Workers & wages

Andy Barr Republican

Voted against the PRO Act (2021), a bill to make it easier for workers to form unions. Voted against the 2019 Raise the Wage Act. Source

Charles Booker Democratic

Supports the PRO Act to make it easier for workers to form unions. Has proposed a $45,000-a-year minimum pay plan for full-time work. Source

Housing

Andy Barr Republican

Backs his Housing Plus Act, which links help for homeless people to mental health care, addiction recovery, and job training. Source

Charles Booker Democratic

Supports federal protections for renters and credits for first-time home buyers. Source

Schools

Andy Barr Republican

Supports letting families use 529 savings plans for more K-12 school costs. Has said parents and teachers should make decisions about a child's education. Source

Charles Booker Democratic

Opposes moving public school money to private school vouchers. Opposes cuts to Title I and special education funding. Source

Civil rights, DEI & LGBTQ+ rights

Andy Barr Republican

Leads a bill to cut federal funds to schools that let transgender girls play on girls' teams. Voted to ban gender transition surgery for minors. Source

Charles Booker Democratic

Spoke at the Fairness Campaign's 2026 rally at the state Capitol in support of LGBTQ Kentuckians. Source

Climate & environmental justice

Andy Barr Republican

Has a plan to "bring back" Kentucky coal. Wrote a bill to block Biden-era ESG (environmental, social, governance) investing rules for retirement accounts. Source

Charles Booker Democratic

Supports a national pause on building new AI data centers and making data centers pay their full utility costs. Supports more federal help with weatherization and energy bills. Source

Books, press & public media

Andy Barr Republican

Voted in 2025 to cancel federal funding already approved for public broadcasting (Corporation for Public Broadcasting). Source

Charles Booker Democratic

No public position found.

Ballot measures

  • Constitutional Amendment 1: Limits on governor's pardons. Would bar the governor from granting pardons or commuting sentences from 60 days before a governor's election until the new term starts (the fifth Tuesday after the election).
    Yes means the governor could not pardon people or shorten sentences during roughly the last few months of a term around a governor's election.
    No means no change. The governor keeps the power to pardon and commute sentences at any time (except in impeachment cases).

Protect the Vote

  • Apply to be a poll worker and support free and fair elections.
  • Watch the count. Take a training to learn how to observe the polls.
  • If anyone tries to stop you from voting or something at your polling place seems wrong:
    • Call 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)
    • Call 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682)
    • Call 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683)
    • Call 844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287)
    • Call Kentucky State Board of Elections: 502-573-7100
    • Call Kentucky Attorney General election fraud hotline: 800-328-8683
    • If you’re in line when polls close, stay in line. You can still vote.
    • If your name isn’t on the list, ask for a provisional ballot.
    • Know your rights

Organizations to Support

  • Louisville Urban League. Black-led civil rights and community group; runs the VOTE | The Power Shift voter mobilization program and an expungement program.

This guide has been created by our community. Want to make changes, edits or any additions? Update this guide >

Anti-Racism Daily will never tell you who to vote for and does not endorse candidates. Information here has been pulled from the internet and may be inaccurate. Please fact-check your sources. If you spot a mistake, please let us know so we can fix it.

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