Next election
Nov 3, 2026
What this means · Next election
An open U.S. Senate seat, all six U.S. House seats, Amendment 1 and the state legislature. No governor’s race — Kentucky elects governors in odd years, next in 2027.
AMAC in the Bluegrass State
Kentucky
- The Bluegrass State
- 15th state, 1792
- Capital: Frankfort
- 120 counties
Kentucky picks Mitch McConnell’s successor this November — the seat he has held for four decades is open for the first time.
Andy Barr and Charles Booker are fighting for a seat that hasn’t changed hands since 1985, with Social Security, Medicare and Kentucky’s rural hospitals in the balance. Back home, Frankfort passed a senior property-tax freeze through the Senate 37–0 — then let it die in a House committee. Kentucky seniors are the margin, and they’re still owed that vote.
10 days until Kentucky votes
Tens of thousands of AMAC members call Kentucky home.
The civic scoreboard
The Kentucky scoreboard
How voting works in Kentucky — dates, rules and districts at a glance.
Registration
Oct 5
What this means · Registration
Register by 4 p.m. local time Monday, Oct 5 — 29 days before Election Day — online through the Secretary of State’s GoVoteKY portal or at your county clerk’s office.
Early voting
3 days
What this means · Early voting
No-excuse early voting the Thursday–Saturday before Election Day (Oct 29–31), plus six days of excused in-person absentee voting over the two weeks before that.
Mail / absentee
Excuse-based
What this means · Mail / absentee
Mail ballots require a qualifying excuse — age, disability or illness that keeps you from the polls, absence from your county through the whole voting window, or military service. Request through the state’s absentee portal.
Voter ID
Photo ID
What this means · Voter ID
Bring a photo ID (required since 2020). If you don’t have one, you can sign an affidavit and show a non-photo document such as a Social Security card.
ERIC member
Yes
What this means · ERIC member
Kentucky participates in the Electronic Registration Information Center — the cross-state duplicate-registration check.
Districts
6 · 38 · 100
U.S. House · State Senate · State House
What this means · Districts
Six U.S. House seats, 38 state Senate districts and 100 state House districts. Every state House seat and the 19 even-numbered Senate districts are on the 2026 ballot.
Counties
120
What this means · Counties
Third-most in the nation — only Texas and Georgia have more. Each county clerk runs its own elections.
Facts sourced from NCSL, EAC and the Kentucky State Board of Elections · Data current as of September 2026.
The Kentucky Test
Ten questions, hometown rules.
No notes, no neighbors helping. See how well you really know the Bluegrass State.
Ten questions on the state you call home.
Take the Kentucky Test.
Your score comes first, no strings.
The Kentucky Poll · September
Frankfort says it can’t afford both. Which should come first — freezing property assessments for seniors, or continuing to cut the income tax toward zero?
One question a month, Kentucky only. This month's voting has closed — the conversation is still open.
Frankfort says it can’t afford both. Which should come first — freezing property assessments for seniors, or continuing to cut the income tax toward zero?
This poll has closed — the new question is coming soon.
Legislative watch
What your state capitol and Washington are moving.
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Nov 3 ballot — Mitch McConnell’s open U.S. Senate seat
On the ballot Nov 3What it means for you
McConnell is retiring after 42 years — the first open Kentucky Senate race since 2010. On the ballot: Rep. Andy Barr (R) vs. Charles Booker (D). Barr’s run also opens KY-6, so central Kentucky picks a new congressman the same day.
Our note: We’re pressing both candidates for written answers on Social Security, Medicare and rural hospitals. Answers get published here.
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Amendment 1 — closing the lame-duck pardon window
On the ballot Nov 3What it means for you
The only statewide measure this year: it bars a governor from issuing pardons or commutations from 60 days before a governor’s election until the next term begins — a response to the 2019 exit-pardon scandal.
Our note: It cleared the legislature near-unanimously (Senate 36–0, House 82–12). Read it before you flip the ballot over.
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Senior homestead freeze (SB 51) — unfinished business
Watching FrankfortWhat it means for you
The plan to freeze property valuations for homeowners 65 and older passed the Senate 37–0 in January — then died in the House Appropriations & Revenue Committee. It is NOT on the November ballot.
Our note: Seniors were owed a vote and didn’t get one. We’re pressing to have it refiled in January — and asking every legislative candidate where they stand.
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Flat income tax at 3.5% — and staying there
In effect for 2026What it means for you
The rate dropped to 3.5% on Jan 1, 2026. State revenues missed the trigger for another cut, so the rate holds at 3.5% for 2027. Social Security stays fully exempt, and the first $31,110 per person of pension or retirement-account income stays excluded.
Our note: Good news on the rate — now keep retirement income off-limits, and don’t let senior property relief get crowded out of a tight budget.
Top issues in Kentucky
The homestead freeze Frankfort owes seniors Passed the Senate 37–0, died in a House committee. We want SB 51 back on the calendar in January.
Rural hospitals on the brink 35 Kentucky hospitals are flagged at risk of closure — the most of any state — as federal Medicaid changes land hardest in small towns.
Utility bills & data centers LG&E/KU rates rose again this year, and a $3 billion build-out for data-center demand is before the PSC now. Ratepayers shouldn’t carry Big Tech’s load.
Who represents Kentucky
Your statewide officials and the full 6-member U.S. House delegation.
New — rate your officials. A member feature: one tap to approve or disapprove (we’ll sign you in first if needed), then one quick “why” — and we publish only the running summary of member reasons, never individual comments.
See your House member and your state legislators — enter your address.
Free to use · No membership required · Your address is never stored
U.S. House delegation · 6 seats
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James Comer U.S. House · KY-1 Republican -
Brett Guthrie U.S. House · KY-2 Republican -
Morgan McGarvey U.S. House · KY-3 Democrat -
Thomas Massie U.S. House · KY-4 Republican -
Hal Rogers U.S. House · KY-5 Republican -
Andy Barr U.S. House · KY-6 Republican
Keep this delegation in your inbox
Get The Kentucky Newsletter — what your state capitol and Washington are doing that affects you — and be first in line for your delegation card when it launches.
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Take action
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Find and contact your legislators
Look up everyone who answers to you — Washington and your state capitol — and how to reach them.
Find my legislators -
AMAC Action — join the fight
AMAC’s advocacy arm carries the member agenda to your state capitol and Washington.
Visit AMAC Action -
AMAC events & webinars
Tele-town halls, webinars, and member events — live and free.
See upcoming events
The Bluegrass State, at a glance
- Kentuckians
- 4.5M
- aged 65+
- ~827k
- counties
- 120
- statehood
- 1792
Did you know
- Mammoth Cave is the longest known cave system on Earth — more than 425 miles mapped, and counting.
- Kentucky makes about 95% of the world’s bourbon, and aging barrels outnumber residents three to one.
- The Kentucky Derby has run every year since 1875 — America’s oldest continuously held annual sporting event.
Election Desk
Live Kentucky results here the night of November 3, 2026.
Returns will appear here.
The Kentucky conversation
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