General election · November 3, 2026

Kentucky

Every certified statewide question and statewide race, translated into everyday language and linked to its official source.

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RegistrationKentucky’s official state election site says the voter-registration deadline for the November 3, 2026 general election is Monday, October 5, 2026. Online registration must be done by 4:00 p.m. local time. Paper cards mailed by that date or turned in to the clerk’s office by close of business are also accepted.Official details ↗

Early votingKentucky says in-person early voting is called no-excuse absentee voting. For the November 3, 2026 general election, the state lists October 29, 30, and 31, 2026 for early in-person no-excuse absentee voting. The state also lists a separate in-person excused absentee period on October 21, 22, 23, and October 26, 27, 28, 2026. Hours and exact locations can vary by county, so voters should check the state’s location finder.Official details ↗

Absentee or mailKentucky says most voters can request a mail-in absentee ballot online starting September 19, 2026 at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time. The last day to request a mail-in absentee ballot is October 20, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. The ballot must be received by the county clerk by 6:00 p.m. local time on Election Day, November 3, 2026, to count. The state also lists in-person excused absentee voting for October 21, 22, 23, and October 26, 27, 28, 2026.Official details ↗

What may still change

Kentucky’s Secretary of State candidate-filing pages show candidate filings for the 2026 General Election, but the page text I could access does not explicitly say “certified” for each listed candidate. I therefore treated the filings page as the official candidate list and excluded any withdrawn/deceased/disqualified entries.
The official Kentucky election guide confirms the state constitutional offices and their basic duties, but it does not provide a certified candidate list for those offices. For Governor/Lieutenant Governor, the Kentucky filing packet says the office will appear on the 2027 ballot, so it is not included here because you asked for the November 3, 2026 general-election ballot.
Kentucky’s Secretary of State site lists only one U.S. Senate office and does not show any statewide elected-office race on the 2026 general-election candidate-filing pages that were accessible through the official site. Based on the official filings pages available, the only 2026 general-election race in scope here is U.S. Senate.
I excluded U.S. House, legislative, judicial-retention, county, city, and local races as requested.
Kentucky’s state page says early-voting hours and exact sites vary by county.
The state says absentee-ballot eligibility depends on the voter’s situation; it does not give the same rules for every voter.
I am relying on the Kentucky State Board of Elections pages that were current when checked on September 3, 2026; counties can post extra local details, but they cannot override the state deadlines listed here.
The state page says ballots must be received by 6:00 p.m. local time on Election Day. It does not say that postmark date alone is enough for a mail-in absentee ballot.

Ballot measure · Certified

2026 Constitutional Amendment: Limit Governor’s pardon and commutation power near gubernatorial elections

This amendment would add a ban on gubernatorial pardons and sentence commutations during the 60 days before a governor’s election and until the governor is sworn in.

Read the breakdown

Official ballot wording

Are you in favor of limiting a Governor's ability to grant pardons or commute sentences by prohibiting him or her from granting pardons or commuting sentences during the time period beginning 60 days prior to the general election at which the Governor is elected, and ending when the Governor is sworn in for that term by amending the Constitution of Kentucky as stated below? It is proposed that Section 77 of the Constitution of Kentucky be amended to read as follows: (1) The Governor shall have power to: (a) Remit fines and forfeitures; and (b) Commute sentences and grant reprieves and pardons, except: 1. In case of impeachment; or 2. For the period beginning sixty days prior to the date of the gubernatorial election and ending the fifth Tuesday succeeding the election. (2) The Governor shall file with each application therefor a statement of the reasons for his or her decision thereon, which application and statement shall always be open to public inspection. (3) In cases of treason, the Governor shall have power to grant reprieves until the end of the next session of the General Assembly, in which the power of pardoning shall be vested; but he or she shall have no power to remit the fees of the Clerk, Sheriff or Commonwealth's Attorney in penal or criminal cases.

Voting yes means

A YES vote would amend the Kentucky Constitution to block the governor from granting pardons or commuting sentences during that election-period window.

Voting no means

A NO vote would leave the governor’s current pardon and commutation power unchanged.

Financial impact

The official Secretary of State ballot page does not include a fiscal note. I did not find a fiscal analysis tied to this measure on the official ballot page. No fiscal amount is stated here.

Supporters’ strongest case

The official state ballot page does not provide supporter statements. Based on the measure’s text, the strongest pro case is that it creates a temporary limit during the governor’s election period, which supporters may view as reducing the chance of last-minute clemency decisions while voters are choosing the next governor. This is an inference from the text, not an official supporter statement.

Opponents’ strongest case

The official state ballot page does not provide opponent statements. Based on the measure’s text, the strongest con case is that it narrows a constitutional power of the governor during a defined period, which opponents may view as an unnecessary restriction on executive clemency. This is an inference from the text, not an official opponent statement.

Key facts

Official source: Kentucky Secretary of State’s 2026 Constitutional Amendments page.
The page says it is providing voters the language of the constitutional amendment and that the office cannot interpret or give guidance on the proposal.
The measure amends Section 77 of the Kentucky Constitution.
The measure would bar pardons and commutations during the period beginning 60 days before the gubernatorial election and ending the fifth Tuesday after the election, before the governor is sworn in for the term.
A separate official fiscal note was not found on the Secretary of State page used here.

Inspect the sources

OfficialKentucky Secretary of State — 2026 Constitutional Amendments↗OfficialKentucky Legislative Research Commission — Senate Bill 10↗OfficialKentucky Legislative Research Commission — Fiscal Note Statement for Senate Bill 51↗

Federal race · Certified

U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate race on the November 3, 2026 Kentucky general-election ballot

Read the breakdown

What this office does

Represents Kentucky in the United States Senate. The Senate helps make federal laws, approves treaties, confirms many federal officials, and oversees the executive branch.

Andy BarrRepublican Party

Charles BookerDemocratic Party

Thomas Michael MurphyWrite-In

Christopher CampbellKentucky Party

Financial impact

No official fiscal estimate was located.

Supporters’ strongest case

No sourced argument was located.

Opponents’ strongest case

No sourced argument was located.

Key facts

The official Kentucky Secretary of State candidate-filing page for the 2026 General Election lists 4 candidates for U.S. Senator.
The listed candidates are: Andy Barr (Republican Party), Charles Booker (Democratic Party), Thomas Michael Murphy (Write-In), and Christopher Campbell (Kentucky Party).
The official filing page also shows one U.S. Senate filing count of 4 candidates and no withdrawn/disqualified U.S. Senate candidates on the page segment I reviewed.

Inspect the sources

OfficialKentucky Secretary of State — Candidate Filings with the Office of the Secretary of State, 2026 General Election, U.S. Senator↗OfficialKentucky Secretary of State — 2026 Kentucky Election Guide (State - Elected Officials / Constitutional Officers)↗

Last checked September 3, 2026 at 4:00 AM. AI-drafted from official election sources. Always confirm your sample ballot with your state or local election office.