AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Kentucky on Election Day

WASHINGTON — Kentucky voters will weigh in on five dozen races across the state in the Nov. 5 general election, including for president, U.S. House, state Legislature, state Supreme Court and two constitutional amendments.

Six candidates appear on the presidential ballot in Kentucky, including Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump. Eight electoral votes are at stake. Kentucky voted for the candidate who won the White House for a forty-year stretch from 1964 to 2004 but has favored the Republican candidates in the last six presidential elections.

Counties begin tabulation of absentee ballots on the morning of Election Day, but no results may be released until after polls close. The state has two poll closing times, 6 and 7 p.m. ET because the state straddles the Eastern and Central time zones, but overall polls close at 6 p.m. local time.

In Kentucky, many counties release vote returns in a single, complete report. The largest counties are Jefferson, Fayette and Kenton. The state has mandatory recount provisions but they do not apply in the presidential election.

The Associated Press doesn’t make projections and will declare a winner only when it has determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race hasn’t been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, like candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear it hasn’t declared a winner and explain why.

Here’s a look at what to expect in the 2024 election in Kentucky:

Election Day

Nov. 5.

Poll closing time

6 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET. Kentucky covers two time zones, so half the state will start reporting results while voters in western counties are casting ballots until 6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. ET).

Presidential electoral votes

8 awarded to statewide winner.

Key races and candidates

President: Harris (D) vs. Trump (R) vs. Shiva Ayyadurai (Independent) vs. Robert Kennedy Jr. (Independent) vs. Chase Oliver (Libertarian) vs. Jill Stein (Green).

Ballot measures: Amendment 1 (require citizenship to vote) and Amendment 2 (allow state funding for non-public education).

Other races of interest

U.S. House, state Senate, state House and state Supreme Court.

Past presidential results

2020: Trump (R) 62%, Biden (D) 36%, AP race call: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, 7 p.m. ET.

Voter registration and turnout

Registered voters: 3,548,136 (as of Oct. 11, 2024). About 43% Democrats, 47% Republicans and 5% other.

Voter turnout in 2020 presidential election: 60% of registered voters.

Pre-Election Day voting

Votes cast before Election Day 2020: about 77% of the total vote.

Votes cast before Election Day 2022: about 23% of the total vote.

Votes cast before Election Day 2024: See AP Advance Vote tracker.

How long does vote-counting take?

First votes reported, Nov. 3, 2020: 6:16 p.m. ET.

By midnight ET: about 98% of total votes cast were reported.

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Associated Press writers Rebecca Reynolds and Maya Sweedler contributed to this report.