Elections

Understanding the Kentucky May Primary

🗳️  May Partisan Primaries in Kentucky – What You Need to Know

Kentucky has closed partisan primaries meaning only registered members of a political party can vote within that party to decide which candidate will advance to the general election in November.  

1.  Registering with a Political Party

• • You must register with a political party to vote in that party’s primary. 
  • If you register as Other (something other than one of the two main political parties) or Independent, you will vote only if there is more than one candidate from your party to choose from
  • Everyone votes in nonpartisan primaries, for example:
    • School Board
    • Urban County Mayor & Council
    • Judicial Offices
    • Soil and Water Conservation

2.   Primary vs. General Elections

• • Primaries (in May): Decide who will represent each party in the November General Election.
  • In General or Special Elections: You can vote for any candidate, regardless of your party.

3.    Party Change Deadline

• • You can change your party affiliation anytime from May to December 31 if you want to vote in that party’s primary the following year.
  • If you change your party after December 31, you can’t vote in the following May primary for any party’s nominees. You can only vote in the nonpartisan races like school board or judge.