Louisville sees record early voting turnout in KY primary election

This story has been updated with new information.

Jefferson County set a record for in-person early voting in a primary election, interim County Clerk David Yates announced May 16.

A release from Yates' office showed 22,860 residents voted early in-person May 14-16. Another 715 voters eligible for excused absentee voting have also cast their ballots, meaning 23,575 people in Jefferson County, a turnout of 4%, voted before the May 19 primary election.

"I'm incredibly proud of the enthusiasm we're seeing," Yates said in a statement. "If you haven't voted yet, there's still time. Your voice matters, and we want every eligible voter to participate."

Through May 16, 155,423 Kentuckians participated in early voting, releases from Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams showed. The three-day turnout represented a 74% increase in early voting compared to the 2022 midterm primary election, Adams said in a statement.

Of the early voters to cast ballots through May 16 statewide, 91,223 are Republicans, 62,443 are Democrats and 1,757 are independents, who are eligible to vote in nonpartisan primaries, including those for Louisville mayor and Louisville Metro Council.

Another 29,569 Kentucky voters participated in excused absentee voting, which means 5.4% of all registered voters have cast ballots ahead of the May 19 election, Adams said. Kentucky's secretary of state expects "just north of 20% turnout" for the 2026 primary.

Kentucky lawmakers made three days of no-excuse early voting permanent in primary and general elections in 2021, following temporary changes because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

How to vote in the 2026 Kentucky primary elections

Primary election voting in Kentucky resumes May 19. To vote, residents will need to bring to their polling location some form of government, military or school-issued ID with their name and photograph.

Registered Kentucky voters who do not know their designated polling location can find it through the State Board of Elections website. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time on May 19.

Reach reporter Leo Bertucci at [email protected] or @leober2chee on X, formerly known as Twitter.