Live updates: Polls have closed across Kentucky. Follow along for the latest results

Live results: See 2023 election vote totals for Kentucky governor, down-ballot races

Polls are open statewide for Election Day with the chance to pick Kentucky’s governor and other statewide officials.

Voting began at 6 a.m. local time and anyone in line by 6 p.m. will be allowed to vote. Follow along below for updates as the day unfolds.

At the top of the ballot is the Kentucky governor’s race. Democratic incumbent Andy Beshear faces Republican and current Attorney General Daniel Cameron in a hotly-contested race which has drawn national attention, including an endorsement for Cameron by former President Donald Trump.

There also will be decisions in races for secretary of state, auditor, treasurer and commissioner of agriculture. A number of local elections also are on the ballot in many counties.

Secretary of State Michael Adams has predicted turnout of about 42% of registered Kentucky voters, typical for a non-presidential election with statewide constitutional offices on the ballot. In 2019, turnout was just over 44%.

Early voting began on Nov. 2, and 260,324 votes were cast before Tuesday. Adams said early voting was up but that absentee ballot requests were down, leading him to leave the turnout prediction at less than 50%.

Before Tuesday there already had been 65 calls to the Kentucky Attorney General’s voter fraud hotline, some involving campaign violations, electioneering and vote buying. To make a complaint, call 800-328-VOTE (800-328-8683.) The hotline is open during regular business hours and from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Eastern time) on Election Day.

Two Jefferson County polling locations stay open late

5 p.m. - Two polling locations in Louisville will remain open until 6:30 p.m. because of public safety emergencies that caused them to be shut down for a time Tuesday.

A Jefferson Circuit Court judge ordered the polls to remain open at Highland Baptist Church and Blue Lick Elementary until 6:30 p.m.

The church was shut down because of a potential gas leak, and the school was locked down because of a police pursuit, according to the order. The polls were inaccessible in both instances for about half an hour Tuesday morning.

All voters in line at those locations by 6:30 p.m. will be permitted to vote.

Attorney General’s office responds to complaints

4 p.m. - The Kentucky Attorney General’s Office has fielded 62 complaints on Election Day.

In Fayette County, there had been nine complaints lodged, included three complaints about voting machines, three complaints about electioneering, two procedural questions and one campaign violation.

Jefferson County had the most Election Day complaints, 21. Other counties where complaints were lodged Tuesday included Madison with seven complaints; Boone, Clark, Floyd and Lincoln with two each; and Fulton, Grayson, Henry, Knox, Laurel, Lee, Magoffin, McCracken, Meade, Mercer, Ohio, Whitley and Wolfe counties with one complaint each.

The AG said other complaints were from outside Kentucky or not related to a specific county. Before Election Day, 65 complaints were received, including seven in Fayette County.

‘We need more ‘I voted’ stickers’

3:45 p.m. - The Fayette County Clerk’s office said that voting had been solid and steady with no major issues. Just lots of requests to deliver additional ‘I Voted’ stickers to locations.

The vote counting begins after the polls close; if you are in line by 6 p.m. you will be able to cast a ballot.

Vote counts will be posted on the Kentucky Secretary of State’s election results website.

Close gov’s race could trigger recount

3 p.m. - A law passed in Kentucky in 2021 would require Kentucky to conduct a recount in the governor’s race if the winner has a lead of less than 0.5%, as a recent poll suggested may occur. The law, which would apply to other races too, was passed as part of a measure that expanded voting rights and access in Kentucky. Here’s how it works.

Here’s what was on voters’ minds on Election Day

2:15 p.m. - Voters surveyed by the Herald-Leader said the economy, social issues and response to the COVID-19 pandemic were among the top issues they were focused on when they cast their ballot Tuesday.

The economy and various social issues, including abortion and transgender rights, were at the forefront of the election for months. Here’s what voters had to say.

More early voters were registered Democrat

1:30 p.m. - The Kentucky Secretary of State’s office said Tuesday that of the 260,324 votes cast during three days of no excuse in person voting, 133,169 were cast by voters registered as Democrats and 112,398 by voters registered as Republicans.

Mail-in absentee ballots also leaned Democrat: of 43,775 returned, 26,311 were from voters registered as Democrats and 15,152 registered as Republicans.

In Fayette County, the early voters were overwhelmingly registered as Democrats: Of 16,709 votes cast over the three days, 10,752 were Democrats and 4450 were Republicans.

COVID response a factor for some voters

1 p.m. - Several voters told the Herald-Leader that Beshear’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their vote, though some said it hurt him and some said it helped.

Dylan Jones, a 32-year-old veterinarian technician who voted for Beshear, said he felt like Beshear “took it seriously and I felt he did the best he could.” He said expanded benefits helped to make up for money that people lost when businesses were shuttered as part of the response to COVID outbreaks.

“He had to shut everything down but he also made us whole,” Jones said.

Bernie Lemay, a Madison County voter, said Beshear was overbearing in his orders to close businesses and churches during the pandemic, specifically noting that police took down license plate numbers at places of worship. Lemay didn’t comment on who he voted for Tuesday.

First Election Day voter complaints reported

12:45 p.m. - The Kentucky Attorney General’s office reported that it has received 39 Election Day complaints as of noon.

In Fayette County, there were eight total calls including three about voting machines, two complaints of electioneering, two procedural questions and one report of a campaign violation.

Jefferson County had 13 calls including five procedural questions, five about voting machines, two about residency, and one election official complaint.

In Madison County, there were three calls about voting machines and one election official complaint.

Gas leak prompted brief polling place evacuation

11:55 a.m. - A polling place in Louisville was briefly evacuated because of fears of a gas leak, according to multiple media reports. LG&E was dispatched to the building, Highland Baptist Church, and cleared the scene.

The polling place has reportedly reopened.

First-time voter: Beshear’s disaster response helped

11:30 a.m. - Dalton Farley, an 18-year-old from Bowling Green who was voting in an election for the first time, said Beshear’s response to the Western Kentucky tornadoes made a positive difference. He said he voted for Beshear Tuesday.

“I think, overall and just generally, like how fast (Beshear) got on things when the tornado hit Kentucky and the flood, and stuff like that is really what made me pull for him,” Farley said. “I remember when I was living in Bowling Green, when the tornado hit home, him getting on top of it really helped out a lot.”

Southern KY voter: Beshear support for Biden was deciding factor

11:10 a.m. - A voter in Somerset who voted for Beshear in 2019 said she decided to cast her ballot for Cameron Tuesday. She cited Beshear’s endorsement of President Joe Biden as the deciding reason.

“He stands by our current president and that’s not cool,” 45-year-old Amanda Miller said of Beshear.

Cameron, and political action committees supporting him, have made frequent efforts in this election cycle to tie Beshear to Biden. Television ads likening the two have been a common sight, as have mailers tying the two together.

Both governor candidates have cast their votes

10:40 a.m. - Cameron cast his vote in Louisville Tuesday morning, according to multiple media reports.

Beshear voted during the early voting period.

Early voting complaints in 29 counties

10:15 a.m. - Ahead of Tuesday’s voting, the Kentucky Attorney General’s election fraud hotline received at least 65 calls from 29 counties. While many were procedural or legal questions, others involved campaign violations and vote buying/selling.

In Fayette County, there two reports of campaign violations, one electioneering complaint, and two calls about mailers, among others.

In Jefferson County, there were three calls about mailers, one campaign violation report, two electioneering calls, and one vote buying/selling (bribery) call, among others.

In Madison County, which could be a key swing county in this year’s gubernatorial race, there were five calls about voting machines and one about a mailer.

The attorney general’s office is expected to announce the first election day complaints later this morning.

Lexington voters assess state progress over 4 years

9:45 a.m. - As voters in Lexington headed to the polls Tuesday, several people told the Herald-Leader they felt Kentucky had made positive steps forward in the past four years. Beshear’s latest term.

Ryan Evans, who cast his vote at Booker T. Washington Elementary School, said the state has made progress economically and socially in Beshear’s first term.

“I think it’s just overall improved but I really think compared to where we were economically and just from a social standpoint, it’s gotten so much better,” Evans said.

Chip Stamper, who voted at Highlands Baptist Church off Georgetown Road, said Kentucky has improved in some areas over the last four years but needs some improvement in other areas, though he didn’t specify which areas he felt the state had improved or struggled in.

“I would say it’s leveled out, about the same probably,” Stamper said.

Evans told the Herald-Leader he voted for Beshear Tuesday. Stamper declined to say specifically who he cast his ballot for, but said he didn’t vote for Beshear.

Electronic voting problems in Louisville

9:25 a.m. - The Louisville Courier-Journal reports that 17 polling machines at multiple locations have been experiencing problems with the E-Poll Book signature machines, according to a spokesperson with the Jefferson County Clerk’s office.

The locations are taking signatures manually on a paper roster and no one is being denied an opportunity to vote, according to the clerk’s office.

Fayette County experienced problems with the electronic poll books in the May 2022 primary; poll books were not coded to the correct precinct.

Michon Lindstrom, a spokesperson for the Kentucky Secretary of State’s Office, confirmed that Jefferson County was the only county experiencing the issue as of Tuesday morning.

Lextran offers free rides on Election Day

9:15 a.m. - In order to increase access to polls, Lexington’s transit service is providing free bus rides on all routes Tuesday. Those needing to plan a route can use Lextran’s online mapping tool, or call customer service at 859-253-INFO (4636) for help.

What issues are on the minds of Lexington voters?

8:45 a.m. - Lexington voters had various different issues on their mind as they cast their votes for governor Tuesday. Kevin Linville, who voted at Sandersville Elementary School Tuesday morning and said he cast his ballot for Beshear, said his biggest concern was respecting others’ life experiences.

“There just needs to be lines on where you can attack someone on a personal level in the political atmosphere,” Linville said.

Other voters highlighted education, COVID-19 and abortion as issues they were focused on.

Ryan Evans, who also said he voted for Beshear, expected continued debates about abortion but said he had a focus on the economy and the way it’s still being impacted by the after-effects of the COVID pandemic.

“It’s not nearly as much of an issue,” Evans said of COVID-19, “but we’re still facing the economic repercussions of that.”

Where to call for help voting

8:25 a.m. - Fayette County Clerk Susan Lamb’s office said early voting Tuesday is very strong but moving smoothly with no lines. Lamb said that there had been about 3,500 votes cast in just the first half hour on Tuesday, an indication of potentially high county turnout.

The county clerk’s web site is running slow because so many voters are attempting to log on to check polling places and other information so they are asking voters to call in to 859-253-3344 if you have questions about where to go or what you need to bring to the polls to vote.

There were early minor technical difficulties at some polling places in Lexington but all precincts were open and operating normally.

In the three days of early voting, Fayette County had 16,712 ballots case, the clerk’s office said.

Madison County voting moving smoothly, with PSA on voting machines

8:15 a.m. - Lines were moving quickly at the University of Kentucky’s Madison County Extension Office Tuesday morning.

Madison County Clerk Kenny Barger previously said voters were having trouble navigating voting machines during the early voting period and his office made a public service announcement to help voters. The issue seemed to affect voters who were trying to cast a straight-ticket ballot, and Barger said no incorrect ballots had been scanned.

Voting steady across Lexington

7:45 a.m. - At Fairway, a precinct worker said that they had a lot of people when the polling place opened at 6 a.m. and have had a steady number of people ever since.

Polls typically see a surge in the morning before work, during lunchtime and after work when people vote on the way home. For the best chance to vote quickly today, try to go in an off time like mid morning or mid afternoon.

Governor candidates urge residents to vote

7:20 a.m. - Both Beshear and Cameron made pushes on social media for Kentuckians to go vote Tuesday morning.

“Today is the day,” Beshear said in a post to X Tuesday morning.

Cameron told his followers it was “time to choose, Kentucky!”

Lexington polling places run smoothly early

6:50 a.m. - Sandersville Elementary School in Lexington had a quick-moving voting process early Tuesday morning.

“I only waited just a couple of minutes for my district,” said Shelia Horton, who was voting at Sandersville Tuesday morning, “and there was quite a few more people in line but it wasn’t a long wait at all.”

Trisha Douin, another voter at Sandersville, said the process was quick for her too.

Voters at the Highlands Baptist Church had a similar experience.

“It was super quick, not a lot of people in there,” said Callie Ryan, a voter at Highlands who said she waited a maximum of 10 minutes.

What early voters in Louisville said about governor’s race

6:30 a.m. - At Louisville’s Old Forester’s Paristown Hall early voting location Saturday, voters who spoke to the Herald-Leader said they appreciated the chance to get voting off their to-do lists before Tuesday.

Rachell Rauh said she voted Beshear for governor, and had strong feelings about Cameron and his handling of the investigation into the fatal Louisville Metro Police shooting of Breonna Taylor.

“His refusal to even consider that something could have been done incorrectly, I just don’t see how that is a good fit for leadership,” Rauh said. “The fact that he would not even consider the impact that had on the city, on the level of trust that half of our population has in our own government, it just, it really didn’t sit well with me.”

Taylor was also on the mind of Ada McElroy, who early voted with her mother Galelyn McElroy, a former government teacher at Central High School.

“After Breonna Taylor and all that happening, and Daniel Cameron’s lack thereof of doing anything in that situation, in my opinion, I think that it’s even more important that Beshear continue his great leadership,” Ada McElroy said.

Galelyn McElroy said Beshear has done great work.

“Actually, I think he should run for president,” she said, later adding that it’s clear Beshear truly cares about people.

What to know if you’re voting Tuesday

6:15 a.m. - Didn’t get prepped for Election Day until the last minute? No worries, we’ve got you covered.

From the races on the ballot to the materials you’ll need to cast your votes, here’s what to know if you’re voting Tuesday.

Reporters Karla Ward, Tessa Duvall, Chris Leach and Taylor Six contributed to this story.

This story will be updated throughout the day.

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