Ky. voters can now request a mail-in ballot for November election. Here’s who is eligible

The first Kentuckians will begin receiving their November ballots soon, as Saturday is the first day to request your absentee ballot by mail.

The ballots can be requested online through the state’s portal, which opens Sept. 24. You can also track your ballot through govoteky.com.

Not all Kentuckians are eligible to vote by mail, however, and you must have a qualifying excuse. Those include:

  • Students temporarily living in another county

  • Those temporarily living out of state

  • Being out of your county during in-person polling hours

  • Age, disability or illness that prevents you from voting in person

  • In jail awaiting adjudication of your case

  • Military and overseas voters

  • Participants in crime victim confidentiality programs

Accommodations are also available for those with a disability that prevents them from marking paper ballots.

The portal will remain open through 11:59 p.m. Oct. 25., which is a final day to request a ballot by mail. You can also contact your county clerk directly about requesting a ballot and necessary accommodations.

The deadline for military and overseas voters (those eligible under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act) to request a ballot is Nov. 1.

Once it’s filled out, you can mail your ballot back or deliver it to a drop box in your county by 6 p.m. on Election Day – Tuesday, Nov. 8. As of Friday afternoon, the Kentucky State Board of Elections had not updated its polling place locations list, which should include drop box location information.

Kentuckians have until Oct. 11 to register to vote in November election. Here’s how

Fayette County Clerk Don Blevins said in a Friday email his office in Lexington is ready to proceed with mail-in balloting.

“Ballots have been programmed and proofed,” he confirmed.

Calling the law limiting mail-in balloting in the state “still fairly restrictive,” Blevins said he expects to see a “small but significant increase” in ballot requests for Fayette County compared to the last midterm election in 2018.

For those who wish to vote in person outside of Election Day, the state will have an early voting period from Nov. 3 to Nov. 5 with no excuse needed, as well as in-person absentee voting with an excuse required weekdays from Oct. 26 to Nov. 2.

Do you have a question about the 2022 election in Kentucky for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.