WASHINGTON (AP) — Kentucky voters will elect leaders for federal, state and other offices on Tuesday. Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied.
When do polls close?
Polls close at 6 p.m. local time, which is 6 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. ET.
What’s on the ballot?
The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in races for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, mayor of Lexington and mayor of Louisville, a statewide ballot measure, state Senate and state House.
How many people voted in the last midterm election?
About 1.4 million votes were cast in the 2022 race for U.S. Senate in Kentucky.
How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?
About 23% of all ballots cast in Kentucky’s 2022 race for U.S. Senate were cast early or by absentee ballot. The latest advance vote totals for Kentucky can be found in the AP’s advance vote tracker.
When are early and absentee votes released?
Almost all counties in Kentucky are expected to report all results for absentee and early votes in the first vote report on election night. Most counties are expected to release results for in-person Election Day votes in the first report as well.
How long does vote counting usually take?
The first results of the 2024 general election were reported starting at 6:05 p.m. ET on Nov. 5, five minutes after the first polls closed. The state reached 50% of votes reporting at 8:15 p.m. ET, and 90% of votes reporting at 9:30 p.m. ET.
When will the AP declare a winner?
The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.
How do recounts work?
Kentucky requires an automatic recount in races for statewide office, U.S. House and state Legislature if the vote margin is 0.5% of the total votes cast for the office or less. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.
By CAMILLE BAKER and ROBERT YOON
Associated Press
