Student Voting Project | Kentucky

Voting at School

ID Requirements

All voters must show ID at the polls, unless they are personally known by poll workers.  You can show a driver's license from Kentucky or from another state, your Social Security card, a credit card, or any other ID card issued to you by the county, as well as any photo ID with your signature, including a student ID.  If you can't show ID, you'll have to cast a provisional ballot.  The provisional ballot will be counted if the county board of elections finds that you're eligible after the election.

Registration Requirements

Voter registration closes 28 days before Election Day.  Mail-in applications must be postmarked by that date.

Residency Requirements

To establish voting residency in Kentucky, you must intend for your school address to be your home.  Your residence is where you live, the place where you intend to return whenever you're traveling.  There's no requirement under current Kentucky law that you intend to make your home at a place permanently or indefinitely in order to establish residence.

Students who lived in Kentucky before moving elsewhere to attend school, and who wish to establish or keep their Kentucky voting residency (i.e., at their parents' address),  should have no problem doing so unless they've already registered to vote in another state. Like all states, Kentucky allows students to keep their voting residency even if they move out of the district to attend school, and the only way you might lose this residency is by establishing residency in a new state. While registering to vote in another state is not automatically considered abandonment of residency in Kentucky, some judges or officials might view it as such. Actually voting in another state, however, will definitely be considered an abandonment of your Kentucky residency.  Students who have voted in another state will have to re-establish their Kentucky residency in order to vote there again.  It is extremely important to note that if you've moved to a different county within Kentucky, you must update your address or re-register in order to retain your voting eligibility.

You can be challenged at the polls by an official poll worker or a partisan challenger on the basis of residency, but you'll be allowed to vote by regular ballot if you swear an oath that you are an eligible voter.  However, if all four poll workers challenge you, you'll have to vote by provisional ballot.  The provisional ballot will be counted if the county board of elections finds that you're eligible after the election.

Absentee Requirement

Any voter registered in Kentucky may vote in-person at the county clerk's office during the 12 days preceding Election Day.  Voters who wish to cast an absentee ballot by mail must provide a legitimate reason for not being able to vote in person.  Acceptable reasons include attending school outside the county where you are registered, employment that prevents you from being able to vote in person, illness, or temporarily residing out of state.  Your county clerk must receive your absentee ballot application at least 7 days before Election Day.  Your absentee ballot must be received by the close of polls on Election Day.  Neither your application nor your ballot must be witnessed.

Voting at Home

ID Requirements

All voters must show ID at the polls, unless they are personally known by poll workers.  You can show a driver's license from Kentucky or from another state, your Social Security card, a credit card, or any other ID card issued to you by the county, as well as any photo ID with your signature, including a student ID.  If you can't show ID, you'll have to cast a provisional ballot.  The provisional ballot will be counted if the county board of elections finds that you're eligible after the election.

Registration Requirements

Voter registration closes 28 days before Election Day.  Mail-in applications must be postmarked by that date.

Residency Requirements

To establish voting residency in Kentucky, you must intend for your school address to be your home.  Your residence is where you live, the place where you intend to return whenever you're traveling.  There's no requirement under current Kentucky law that you intend to make your home at a place permanently or indefinitely in order to establish residence.

Students who lived in Kentucky before moving elsewhere to attend school, and who wish to establish or keep their Kentucky voting residency (i.e., at their parents' address),  should have no problem doing so unless they've already registered to vote in another state. Like all states, Kentucky allows students to keep their voting residency even if they move out of the district to attend school, and the only way you might lose this residency is by establishing residency in a new state. While registering to vote in another state is not automatically considered abandonment of residency in Kentucky, some judges or officials might view it as such. Actually voting in another state, however, will definitely be considered an abandonment of your Kentucky residency.  Students who have voted in another state will have to re-establish their Kentucky residency in order to vote there again.  It is extremely important to note that if you've moved to a different county within Kentucky, you must update your address or re-register in order to retain your voting eligibility.

You can be challenged at the polls by an official poll worker or a partisan challenger on the basis of residency, but you'll be allowed to vote by regular ballot if you swear an oath that you are an eligible voter.  However, if all four poll workers challenge you, you'll have to vote by provisional ballot.  The provisional ballot will be counted if the county board of elections finds that you're eligible after the election.

Absentee Requirement

Any voter registered in Kentucky may vote in-person at the county clerk's office during the 12 days preceding Election Day.  Voters who wish to cast an absentee ballot by mail must provide a legitimate reason for not being able to vote in person.  Acceptable reasons include attending school outside the county where you are registered, employment that prevents you from being able to vote in person, illness, or temporarily residing out of state.  Your county clerk must receive your absentee ballot application at least 7 days before Election Day.  Your absentee ballot must be received by the close of polls on Election Day.  Neither your application nor your ballot must be witnessed.

[1] Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 116.035 (West 2008).

[1] Id.

[1] Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 116.025(6)

[1] Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 117.245

[2] 31 KAR 6:020

[3] Id.

[4] Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 116.045 (West 2008).

[5] Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 116.045(2) (West 2008).

[6] Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 117.227 (West 2008).

[7] Id.; see also 31 Ky. Admin. Regs. 4:010 (2007).

[8] 31 Ky. Admin. Regs. 6:020 (2007).

[9] Id.

[10] Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 117.085 (West 2008).

[11] Id.

[12]Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 117.086 (West 2008).