Voting in the Kentucky primary begins today. Here's what you need to know

Kentuckians can cast ballots at polling places before Election Day, starting today.

Early voting for all voters begins Thursday. Election Day is Tuesday, May 17. It's the first election under new early voting rules signed in 2021 by Gov. Andy Beshear.

Other than in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kentuckians needed an excuse to vote early via absentee ballots.

State lawmakers in 2021 passed legislation to make early voting permanent in Kentucky inspired by the expansion of early voting opportunities during the pandemic the year before.

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Now, Kentuckians get three days to vote early. The hours and locations vary in each county. You can check polling locations by visiting the state board of elections website elect.ky.gov and clicking on polling locations or by calling your county clerk.

Here's what you need to know.

Who can vote?

The voter registration deadline was April 18.

Kentucky is a closed primary state.

That means only registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic primary and only registered Republicans can vote in the Republican primary. Registered voters who wanted to switch parties had until Dec. 31, 2021 to do so for this primary. Any voter who switched parties after Jan. 1 will not be allowed to vote in either party's primary, though they can vote in nonpartisan races.

To check your voter registration status and polling location on Election Day, visit the Kentucky Board of Elections' voter information center site.

When and where can I vote?

On Election Day, May 17, polls are open 6 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Early, no-excuse voting runs May 12-14 at voting centers in each county. Polls in each county must be open for at least eight hours each day, but the specific times are up to each county's boards of election.

Here are the locations and hours of the early voting centers in the three Northern Kentucky counties.

Boone County Early Voting

• Boone County Enrichment Center, 1955 Burlington Pike, Burlington

• Florence Government Center, 8100 Ewing Blvd., Florence

• Walton Fire Station, 12600 Towne Center Blvd., Walton

Hours: Thursday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Campbell County Early Voting

• Campbell County Administration Building, 1098 Monmouth St., Newport

• 1st Baptist Church of Cold Spring, 4410 Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring

• Southern Campbell Firehouse, 1050 Racetrack Road, Alexandria

Hours: Thursday-Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Kenton County Early Voting

• Calvary Baptist Church, 3711 Tibbatts St., Covington

• Lakeside Christian Church, 195 Buttermilk Pike, Lakeside Park

• Life Learning Center, 20 W. 18th St., Covington

• Independence Senior Center, 2001 Jackwoods Pkwy., Independence

• St. Barbara's Church, 4042 Turkeyfoot Rd., Erlanger

• County Government Center, 1840 Simon Kenton Way, Covington

Hours: Thursday-Saturday, 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

What's on the ballot?

There's a lot to vote on in Northern Kentucky, particularly the Republicans.

Longtime incumbents have drawn challengers within the GOP, including judges-executive and county commissioners. There are also state Senate seats open in Campbell and Boone counties. In addition, at least one city commission has a primary, Newport. There are 10 candidates running. The top eight candidates will move on to the general and compete for four seats.

Use our voter guide

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Kentucky primary 2022: What to know, early voting