'Record' number of early voters indicates Kentucky will surpass 2020 election turnout

More than 225,000 Kentuckians cast ballots on the first day of early voting Thursday, signaling a stronger voter turnout than in the 2020 presidential election, Secretary of State Michael Adams’ office said Friday morning.

Adams said 225,696 Kentuckians voted on Halloween, the first day of a three-day, no-excuse early voting period.

That amount far exceeds first-day early voting totals in the last two general election cycles: In 2020, 57,154 people cast ballots on the first day of early voting.

In 2022, a non-presidential cycle, 81,961 people cast ballots on the first day of early voting, Adams posted to the social media site X on Friday.

Voters also have all day Friday and Saturday to cast ballots ahead of Election Day on Nov. 5. To find your county’s locations, use the state’s polling place locator.

Of the 225,696 ballots counted Thursday, 89,782 were from registered Democrats, and 121,081 were from Republicans, according to data from Adams’ office.

Long lines to get into polling places were reported statewide, with wait times topping an hour in some cases, including at Bowman Field in Louisville and Tates Creek Library in Lexington.

Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith said his office saw “record turnout” on the first day of early voting Thursday, as did Rowan County Clerk Elwood Caudill, who said said 1,203 voters cast ballots on Thursday — “That’s the most in one day that we have had in early voting,” he posted on Facebook.

Across the state, McCracken County also reported busy polls. The West Kentucky county, which added a second early voting location for the first time since early voting began in Kentucky, saw 2,585 ballots cast Thursday. County Clerk Jamie Huskey posted on Facebook: “Although everyone had to wait in long lines, it was good to see a large voter turnout.”

High turnout was foreshadowed by the volume of absentee ballot requests made before the Oct. 22 deadline. Adams said at the time the volume indicated “massive voter turnout.”

Michon Lindstrom, spokesperson for Adams’ office, said the state is sure to surpass turnout in the 2020 presidential election, when the country chose between then-incumbent President Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Upwards of 60% of eligible voters cast ballots, or more than 2.1 million Kentuckians

This year, 130,464 absentee ballots were sent out. And in all 120 counties but four, upwards of 70% of those ballots were returned, according to data from Adams’ office.

Drawing Kentuckians to the polls this year is the race for president between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump. But so are several state and local issues on ballots across the state, including General Assembly seats, medical marijuana referendums, and two proposed constitutional amendments.

A divisive measure called Amendment 2 asks permission from voters to alter the state constitution and pave the way for the legislature to divert public school dollars to private and Christian schools.