Registration
Kentucky registration options include Online, By Mail, and In Person.
State Voting Guide
Kentucky Voting Guide
Use this Kentucky voting guide to check registration options, voter ID requirements, polling hours, absentee voting, eligibility rules, and official resources.
Last reviewed: August 14, 2026. Generated from structured state voting models and official-source links.
At a Glance
Kentucky voting quick facts
Voter ID
Kentucky is listed as Non-strict photo ID.
Poll Hours
Polling places are generally open 6:00 AM-6:00 PM.
Absentee and Mail Voting
Kentucky registered voters may vote at the precinct on election day or, if eligible, may cast an absentee ballot by mail or in the county clerk’s office prior to election day. Kentucky law does not provide for early voting or unexcused absentee voting.
Felony Voting Rights
In Kentucky, people with felony convictions may lose voting rights beyond incarceration; restoration can depend on sentence completion, waiting periods, excluded offenses, or additional restoration steps. Executive orders have restored rights for certain...
Voter Lookup
Lookup tools may help with check your voter registration status, check your polling place location, view your sample ballot, and 2 more.
Register
Kentucky voter registration options
Kentucky voters may register online, by mail, or in person. Registration deadlines may vary by election type or method where noted.
Online Available
You can use the Commonwealth of Kentucky's Online Voter Registration to: Register to vote in Kentucky or Update your current registration record.
- Online registration must be completed 29 days before Election Day.
By Mail Available
Print out the form, fill out the voter registration card by hand, sign it, and mail to the State Board of Elections. The completed application must be postmarked 29 days before Election Day.
- Mail registration must meet the state deadline 29 days before Election Day.
In Person Available
A voter registration card can be obtained and completed at your county clerk's office. In person registration deadline is 29 days before Election Day.
- In-person registration must be completed 29 days before Election Day.
military overseas Available
UOCAVA voters can register by completing a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA).
national_form
The National Mail Voter Registration Form may also be available where accepted.
registration_status
Consider yourself registered when- and only when- you receive an acknowledgment from your county clerk. Never assume you are registered to vote until you have received this acknowledgment. Contact your county clerk if you do not receive notification within 2-3 weeks or, if it is close to the registration deadline, to check the status of your registration. Check your voter registration status online by visiting this site
Identification
Kentucky voter ID laws
Kentucky voter ID rule: Non-strict photo ID.
Non-strict photo ID
Kentucky voter ID rule: Non-strict photo ID.
Code: Ky. Rev. Stat. § 117.001, Ky. Rev. Stat. § 117.225, and Ky. Rev. Stat. § 117.228
Accepted forms of ID
- Kentucky driver's license
- Kentucky state-issued photo identification card
- United States passport
- United States military identification card
- Student identification card issued by a public or private college or university in the United States
- Employee identification card issued by a Kentucky or federal government entity
If you do not have ID
- Individuals voting at a polling place located in a state-licensed care facility where the voter resides are not required to provide identification before voting.
- A voter unable to provide photo identification may sign a voter affirmation form and provide a reason for lacking identification.
Polling Places
Kentucky poll hours
Polling places in Kentucky are generally open 6:00 AM-6:00 PM.
6:00 AM-6:00 PM
The polls shall be opened on the day of a primary, special election, or regular election at 6 a.m., prevailing time, and shall remain open until each voter who is waiting in line at the polls at 6 p.m., prevailing time, has voted.
Absentee Voting
Kentucky absentee and mail voting
Kentucky registered voters may vote at the precinct on election day or, if eligible, may cast an absentee ballot by mail or in the county clerk’s office prior to election day. Kentucky law does not provide for early voting or unexcused absentee voting.
Absentee Voting In Kentucky
Kentucky registered voters may vote at the precinct on election day or, if eligible, may cast an absentee ballot by mail or in the county clerk’s office prior to election day. Kentucky law does not provide for early voting or unexcused absentee voting.
Absentee Voting Eligibility
To be qualified to vote by mail-in absentee ballot, you must be
- Advanced in age, Disabled, or Ill;
- Military personnel, their Dependents, or Overseas Citizens (For more information please review the Military and Overseas Page);
- A student who temporarily resides outside the county;
- A voter who temporarily resides outside of Kentucky and who maintains eligibility to vote in Kentucky, such as a "snowbird;"
- Incarcerated, but not yet convicted of a crime; or
- Employed outside of the county all hours the polling place is open.
Last day to request an absentee ballot
- The deadline for applying for a mail-in absentee ballot is 7 days before an election.
- The completed application must be received by the County Clerk by mail or in person by the 7-day deadline.
- The absentee ballot must be received in the County Clerk’s office by 6 PM local time on election day for the ballot to be counted.
Eligibility
Kentucky voter eligibility
Under federal law, if you move within 30 days of a presidential election, you are allowed to vote for President and Vice President in your former state of residence, either in person or by absentee ballot.
Age requirements
Voting age: Must be at least 18 years old or will be 18 by the date of the next general election.
Registration age: You must be 18 on or before the next general election to register.
To register to vote in the State of Kentucky, an individual must meet the following qualifications:
- You are a United States citizen;
- Must be a resident of Kentucky not less than 28 days before the election.
- Not be a convicted felon (or, if so, have civil rights restored)
- Not have been judged mentally incompetent in a court of law and have voting rights removed.
- Not claim the right to vote anywhere outside Kentucky.
- Minors 17 years of age who will become 18 by the November general election are eligible to vote in the prior May primary election only.
Voting Rights
Kentucky felony conviction voting rights
In Kentucky, people with felony convictions may lose voting rights beyond incarceration; restoration can depend on sentence completion, waiting periods, excluded offenses, or additional restoration steps. Executive orders have restored rights for certain nonviolent felony convictions, but the state constitution...
Lost Until Completion of Sentence; Waiting Period or Additional Action Required
In Kentucky, people with felony convictions may lose voting rights beyond incarceration; restoration can depend on sentence completion, waiting periods, excluded offenses, or additional restoration steps. Executive orders have restored rights for certain nonviolent felony convictions, but the state constitution otherwise allows restoration through executive pardon. In 2019, Governor Beshear signed an executive order automatically restoring voting rights to certain offenders.
Citation: Ky. Const. § 145; Ky. Rev. Stat. §§ 116.025, 196.045
Policy detail
“Persons convicted of treason, or felony, or bribery in an election, or of such high misdemeanor as the General Assembly may declare shall operate as an exclusion from the right of suffrage, but persons hereby excluded may be restored to their civil rights by executive pardon” (Ky. Const. § 145). Gov. Andy Beshear restored voting rights to individuals with former non-violent felony convictions via executive order in 2019. Gov. Steve Beshear had originally done so in 2015, though Gov. Matt Bevin reversed that...
Recent actions
- 2019 Gov. Beshear signed an executive order automatically restoring voting rights to certain offenders.
- 2015 Outgoing Gov. Beshear issued an executive order restoring rights to certain offenders; reversed by incoming Gov. Bevin.
Work and Voting
Kentucky time off for voting
Employees may take four hours to vote. Employers may specify which hours the employee can take off.
Time off status: Yes
Employees may take four hours to vote. Employers may specify which hours the employee can take off.
Kentucky - TIME OFF FOR VOTING.
Employees may take four hours to vote. Employers may specify which hours the employee can take off.
Lookup
Kentucky voter information lookup
Check Your Voter Registration Status.
Voter Information Lookup
Use the lookup tool to check your voter registration status, check your polling place location, view your sample ballot, check the status of your absentee ballot, and 1 more.
Sources
Kentucky official voting resources
- executive order
- Felony voting rights source
- Eligibility source
- Voter ID overview source
- Kentucky voter ID source
- Find polling place and ballot details
- State Election Website
- Vote.gov
- Click here to Register Online
- Federal Post Card Application
- UOCAVA voters can register by completing a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA).
Questions
Common Kentucky questions
Can I register to vote online in Kentucky?
Kentucky lists online voter registration as available. You can use the Commonwealth of Kentucky's Online Voter Registration to: Register to vote in Kentucky or Update your current registration record.
What voter ID rule does Kentucky use?
Kentucky is listed as Non-strict photo ID. Review the accepted ID forms and voter-without-ID procedures before voting.
What time do polls open in Kentucky?
Polling places in Kentucky are generally open 6:00 AM-6:00 PM. Confirm your assigned polling place before Election Day.
Where can I check my Kentucky voter registration or polling place?
The Kentucky voter lookup section lists tools for check your voter registration status, check your polling place location, view your sample ballot, check the status of your absentee ballot, and 1 more.
Can people with felony convictions vote in Kentucky?
In Kentucky, people with felony convictions may lose voting rights beyond incarceration; restoration can depend on sentence completion, waiting periods, excluded offenses, or additional restoration steps. Executive orders have restored rights for certain nonviolent felony...