After months of campaigning and political ads, Kentucky's general election has arrived.
Polls open at 6 a.m. and will remain open for 12 hours. Results from races around the state and Louisville will roll in soon after polls close across the state, so make sure to check back here to see who won.
This evening, we'll have livestreams that include host Kirby Adams, Metro Columnist Joe Gerth, Metro Government reporter Eleanor McCrary and a special guest: USA TODAY National Political Correspondent Phillip M. Bailey, a Louisville native and Courier Journal alum.
In the meantime, here's a quick look at what's at stake and what's happening around Louisville:
5:45 p.m.: KY recount law could be triggered
5,086.
That’s how many votes Andy Beshear defeated Matt Bevin by four years ago, winning the 2019 contest by .4%.
If that happens again in the governor’s race — or any other statewide election — then a 2021 law passed by the legislature, which was part of a larger voting rights expansion package, will force an automatic recount.
The new rule is triggered if any Kentucky race is decided by .5% or less, and the last poll before the election had Beshear and Attorney General Daniel Cameron tied at 47%.
— Phillip M. Bailey
4:00 p.m.: Court orders polling hours extensions
The Jefferson Circuit Court ordered extended polling hours at two locations: Blue Lick Elementary School and Highland Baptist Church, representing precincts 141, 145, L170, L171, L203 and L219.
A police pursuit at the school and a potential gas leak at the church made the polling locations “inaccessible to voters for the statutorily mandated 12 hour window,” the court found.
The order keeps the locations open for voters until 6:30 p.m. and all voters in line at those locations by the time polls close will be allowed to vote under the change.
3:06 p.m.: LMPD arrests one person at polling location
Louisville Metro Police arrested Jacen Cockerell on Tuesday in connection to intimidation and voting machine tampering at the Molly Leonard Portland Community Center polling location, 640 N. 27th St., the department stated.
Cockerell was "wielding a flag attached to a fishing pole and allegedly was making threatening gestures towards voters," LMPD spokesperson Matt Sanders said.
Sanders said at least one person was prevented from being able to vote and one machine was damaged during the incident.
Cockerell was charged with two counts of menacing, one count of tampering, destruction of a voting machine and one count of interfering with election.
Where to find 2023 Kentucky General Election results
The Courier Journal will post results as they come in. Bookmark this link: ELECTION RESULTS
2:33 p.m.: Gov. Andy Beshear urges voters to cast their ballots Tuesday
Gov. Andy Beshear shared his gratitude Tuesday afternoon for those who have showed up to vote in Kentucky.
"Over the last 4 years, I've been fighting to do the right thing for the Commonwealth — and that's exactly what we've done," Beshear wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "Now, I am asking you to vote."
His posts on social media included a video of his campaign tour through Kentucky with 35 stops over 10 days.
2:00 p.m.: Kentucky Dems last stand or Beshear’s coattails?
So much attention has been put on the top of the ticket that you might forget about the other constitutional offices up for grabs.
That’s because Republicans have dominated statewide elections—whether state or federal office—for the past decade.
In that time period Democrats have won just three contests: Beshear’s victories for attorney general in 2015 and governor in 2019; and Alison Lundergan Grimes for secretary of state in 2015.
Many in the GOP believe whether the governor wins or loses on Tuesday, this is the end of the state Democratic Party.
That means it’s important to watch if any Democrat not named Beshear can pull out a win.
— Phillip M. Bailey
12:52 p.m.: Can Cameron flip these counties?
One thing to watch Tuesday night is if Republican Daniel Cameron wins the counties that former Gov. Matt Bevin coughed up in 2019.
Four years ago, Democrat Andy Beshear won at least seven counties (Breathitt, Kenton, Knott, Madison, Nicholas, Scott and Warren) by 3% or less in one of the tightest gubernatorial contests in state history.
Those slim margins helped Beshear beat Bevin by 5,086 votes, or .04%.
Kentucky Republicans blamed Bevin’s unpopularity, fueled largely by a teacher’s movement, as the reason for losing the governor’s mansion back then.
Cameron, who isn’t nearly as unpopular statewide, flipping those counties will be a sign that he’s having a good night and put more pressure on Beshear to run up the numbers in Democratic strongholds such as Louisville and Lexington.
— Phillip M. Bailey
Noon: Democrats edged out GOP in early voting
The 2023 election is the first gubernatorial contest where Kentuckians were allowed to use a wider range of early voting, and it appears Democrats were more eager to show up.
In the three days of no-excuse, in-person voting that happened ahead of Tuesday, 260,324 people cast a ballot, according to the secretary of state’s office.
Of those, 133,169 ballots, or 51.2%, were Democrats versus 112,398, or 43.2%, who were Republicans.Things got better for Beshear’s party when other forms of early voting, such as mail-in ballots and excused in-person voting, were included.
Democrats added roughly 28,000 votes in that regard where the GOP added about 18,000 more to their tally, according to the secretary of state’s office.
— Phillip M. Bailey
Kentucky voter guides:Here's who's running in all of the races
11:15 a.m.: Polling place temporarily closed after gas leak fear
The Highland Baptist Church polling location near the intersection of Cherokee Road and Grinstead Drive was evacuated for about 30 minutes after reports of a gas leak, Erran Huber, spokesman for the Jefferson County Clerk's Office said.
Huber said the call to evacuate came about 10:30 a.m. and voting resumed around 11:05 a.m. He said LG&E was called and determined the building was safe.
Sarah Carney, a poll worker at the church, said people were complaining about a smell, which warranted the report. While the building was being checked, people waited outside and were let in after to cast their ballots.
10:54 a.m.: Voters provide their reasons for re-electing Gov. Andy Beshear
Mary Matthews, 60, is from Lexington but moved to Louisville in 2002.
Matthews voted for Beshear in the past election and did so again on Tuesday at Byck Elementary School.
She said she voted for him because she “liked the way he did things.”
Theresa Stum, 65, is from Indiana but moved several years ago to Kentucky and is voting in the Bluegrass State for the first time.
She voted for the Democratic Party and said she was pleased with Beshear’s work — highlighting the Norton Healthcare hospital coming to the West End.
“I feel like, especially, Andy Beshear is doing a great job bringing stuff you know, down here to the West End that we need so bad and, especially, the hospital,” Stum said.
Donna Shepperson, 80, split her vote— she voted for Andy Beshear and “a couple” of Republican candidates.
“I feel like … they will be the better person for the job,” Shepperson said. “That’s my opinion.”
Even though she voted for Beshear, Shepperson said there were things he did in the past four years that she didn’t like. One of the things that influences her vote is the candidates’ attitude during the campaign.
“The part that bothers me worse than anything is when they're campaigning, is when they start knocking each other,” she said. “I don’t like that at all.”
10:05 a.m.: Governor candidate Daniel Cameron casts Kentucky ballot in Louisville
Daniel Cameron, Republican nominee for Kentucky governor, visited Wilder Elementary in Louisville with his wife Makenze — along with Theodore, their first child — to vote in the 2023 Kentucky Election.
Cameron, Kentucky's attorney general, faces incumbent Gov. Andy Beshear in Tuesday's election.
9:27 a.m.: Senate Bill 150 influences election choice
Hannah Hunter and Krishan Williams arrived together at The Jeffersonian Tuesday morning to vote for Beshear.
"I think a lot of the things he stands for is amazing," Williams said. "And as far as the things that affect my daily life, I think he stands for those values."
Hunter said the passage of Senate Bill 150 in the state legislature this year influenced her choices in the election.
"It's really important to me that we should be voting against these kinds of bills and people who will support those bills," she said.
9:12 a.m.: 17 polling machines in Jefferson County experience minor issues
17 polling machines at multiple locations, including Immanuel UCC on Taylorsville Road, have been experiencing problems with the signature machines—E-Poll Books, said Erran Huber, spokesperson with the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office.
Huber said polling locations with machines that are having issues are taking the signatures manually on a paper roster.
People will have to be patient, but nobody should not be denied their vote, he said. They are not telling people they can’t vote.
Humberto Sanchez, 25, is from Houston, Texas, but has lived in Louisville for more than 5 years. He voted for Beshear — who he said he met in the past — at Jefferson County Traditional Middle School on Tuesday.
“I just happened to align with a lot of his — with his vision, really.”
Correction: This update has been modified to show that 17 machines were experiencing issues, not 17 locations.
8:50 a.m.: Free rides offered to voters
On Election Day, organizations Until Freedom and the Breonna Taylor Foundation are providing free transportation to the polls.
The free ride service is scheduled through the Louisville Urban League from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday.
To request a ride, voters can call 502-585-4622 and press 9 for a receptionist to schedule a ride to their polling location.
8:10 a.m.: Voter pleased with Beshear, opts to re-elect current governor
Joe Daley, 64, voted for Andy Beshear at Jefferson County Traditional Middle School on Tuesday morning.
He voted for Beshear in the 2019 election and is pleased with his decision.
“I think he’s the right guy,” he said. “He has a positive message and he cares about people.”
7:38 a.m.: Abortion, transgender issues among reasons to participate in election
Valley Station resident Dan White, 52, showed up to vote early on Tuesday morning, casting his vote for Daniel Cameron in the Kentucky Governor's race.
White cited Gov. Andy Beshear's COVID-19 pandemic response in regards to churches, as well as his stance on abortion and transgender issues as reasons for voting for Cameron.
"It's time for the meat and potatoes of this country who take this as a slap in the face, to stand up and say 'this is enough,'" White said.
7:20 a.m.: First-time Kentucky voters cast their ballot early Tuesday morning
Among the voters include new Kentucky residents who are casting their ballot for the first time here in the state.
Alicia Frausto, 28, who moved from California a year ago, was voting for the first time in Kentucky with Mahika Gupta, 26, who has previously voted in the Bluegrass State before.
They both voted Democrat.
“I'd like to live in a place that reflects people who support my life and lifestyle,” Frausto said.
6:48 a.m.: Voter turnout predicted to be near 50 percent in Jefferson County
Erran Huber, spokesperson with the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office, said people can be confident in the voting systems in Louisville.
“We want folks to know that from the time that they come into their polling location, from the time that they mark their ballot, and the time that is counted, their choice is never run through the internet, and their vote is safe”
Huber also said that early voting numbers don’t show a big difference between 2022 and 2023. These numbers are the ones that help determine if voting turnout will be higher or lower than 2019, the past election in which these races were on the ballot.
“We feel reasonably confident that turnout is going to be about 48%,” Huber said. “But nobody has a crystal ball.”
There was a 48% voter turnout in 2019 in Jefferson County.
6 a.m.: Lines forming at polls
Just before 6 a.m. there were people already lined up outside Jefferson County Traditional Middle School.
Peyton Scott, 29, was in line to vote 10 minutes before the polls opened and voted for the Democratic incumbent Andy Beshear. She works in health care and was please with the decisions he made during the COVID-19 pandemic, although she knows “a lot of people don’t agree with that.”
"I know that there's a lot of stake with our like, LGBTQ, and transgender rights, and reproductive rights and I know that he would be protecting them. The other party would not.”
Who's on the ballot?
All the statewide constitutional offices are up for grabs. They include these races and candidates:
These Louisville races are also on the ballot:
- Metro Council special elections: In District 3, Shameka Parrish-Wright faces Gibran Crook; In District 6, Phillip Baker is going against Judy Martin Stallard; and in District 8, Ben Reno-Weber is competing against Phil Haming.
- Family court judge: The candidates are Emily Craddock, Claudette Patton, Laura Russell, Allison Spencer Russell, Jessica Stone and Mason Trenaman Sr.
To check out a sample ballot for your county, click here.
Where is my polling place in Kentucky?
Not sure where your local polling place is in Kentucky? Check out the State Board of Elections website. In Jefferson County, you can also check out the county clerk's website.
What do I need to bring to the polls to vote in Kentucky?
You'll need to bring a photo ID with you following law passed in 2020 that requires voters to show photo identification at the polls.
Your Kentucky driver's license is sufficient, and so are military, college and Kentucky government IDs. You also can get a free, state-issued ID card if you're at least 18 years old. (Those are available at local circuit court clerk's and regional driver's license offices.)
If you don't have one, you can sign a special form at the polls and show poll workers one of these cards instead:
- A Social Security card
- An ID card of any kind that includes your photo and your name
- An electronic benefit transfer or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program card that lists your name
- A credit or debit card that lists your name
You also could get your identity confirmed if you personally know an election officer.
How do I report problems at the polls?
Kentuckians who witness election irregularities or possible election law violations are encouraged to 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.
We want to know what you're seeing at the polls, too. If you see any election problems, let us know by emailing lounews@courierjournal.com.
If you have any questions about voting, please contact the Kentucky State Board of Elections at 502-573-7100.
Can I buy alcohol on Election Day in Kentucky?
Yes.
The Kentucky General Assembly gave final approval to the bill back in 2013. According to KRS 244.290, authorized sellers "shall be permitted to sell and deliver distilled spirits and wine during the hours the polls are open on any primary, or regular, local option, or special election day." The exception is when it's a dry county, the Courier Journal previously reported.
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