races, key dates and polling place check

From a new president to Louisville Metro Council members, there are many positions up for grabs in November’s general election.

The Courier Journal has guides for the candidates in each of the state and local races. We’ve also put together answers to questions you might have before you go to the polls, such as which poll you’re supposed to go to.

Here’s what you need to know:

The 2024 general election is on November 5.

Who’s on the ballot in Kentucky?

State races on the November 2024 ballot include U.S. House, Kentucky State Senate and Kentucky State House.

Coverage related to these races:

Who’s on the ballot in Louisville?

Jefferson County-focused careers, such as Louisville Metro Council and Jefferson County Board of Education.

Coverage related to these races:

Amendments to the November election ballots

Kentucky ballots will have two constitutional amendments for people to vote on. Constitutional Amendment 1 asks voters whether they want to bar noncitizens from voting in Kentucky.

Constitutional Amendment 2, also known as school choice, asks voters whether they want to allow the General Assembly to allocate public tax dollars to other educational opportunities besides public schools, such as charter or private schools.

Coverage related to these topics:

What if I’m not in Kentucky on Election Day?

There are several ways people can still vote if they won’t be in Kentucky on Election Day:

Request a mail-in or absentee ballot

Absentee voting by mail is an option, but you’ll need to act soon. If you meet absentee voting requirements (such as temporarily living outside of Kentucky), be sure to register online by October 22 at the state Board of Elections website to receive your ballot. If you qualify to vote absentee, apply for an online ballot through the state’s online portal: https://vrsws.sos.ky.gov/abrweb/.

And, notice, your vote must be received by November 5th at 6:00 PM to be counted. Ballots can be dropped off at the Jefferson County Clerk’s Election Center, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel or at any of the seven early voting locations without an excuse.

Voting in person due to excused absence

Voting in justified absenteeism is open from October 23 to 25 and from October 28 to 30. Voting can be done from 8:30am to 4:30pm at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 830 Phillips Lane for Jefferson County residents and Oldham County residents can vote during regular business hours at 100 E .Jefferson St. in La Grange.

This option is for people who have medical, work or residential exemptions and will not be able to vote on November 8. The full list of excused early voting qualifications is on the state Board of Elections website.

Early voting

In-person no-excuse early voting begins in Kentucky on Oct. 31 and runs through Nov. 2 for anyone registered to vote. Here are the locations of these polling stations, which will be open between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

• Berrytown Recreation Center1300 Heafer Road

• Bowman Field-Administration Building2815 Taylorsville Road

• Cyril Allgeier Community Center4101 Cadillac Court

• Epiphany United Methodist Church7032 Southside Drive

• Goodwill Opportunity Campus2820 W. Broadway

• Emmanuel United Church of Christ2300 Taylorsville Road

• Jefferson County Clerk’s Office-West Branch228 Amy Ave.

• Kentucky Center for African American Heritage1701 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd.

• Lyndon Elks Lodge #2052904 Ormsby Lane

• New Zion Baptist Church1501 Louis Coleman Jr. Drive

• Okolona Christian Church10801 Camí Fidel

• United Church of Saint Andrew of Christ2608 Browns Lane

• Catholic Church of Sant Simon and Jude4335 Hazelwood Ave.

• Sun Valley Community Center6505 Bethany Lane

• Teamsters Local Union #7837711 Beulah Church Road

• The Arterburn310 Ten Pin Lane

• The Heritage-Shively Park1901 Park Road

• The Jeffersonian10617 Taylorsville Road

• Triple Crown Pavilion1780 Plantside Drive

• UofL Shelby Campus-Founders Union Building. Room 218450 N. Whittington Parkway

Where do I vote?

Polling locations in Louisville can be found on the Jefferson County Clerk’s website. Bullitt County residents can also find their polling locations on their county clerk’s website.

In the meantime, Oldham County residents can vote at any of the following polling locations:

How do I know if I’m registered to vote in Kentucky?

The Kentucky Board of Elections website has a page where you can check it out. You will be asked to provide your first and last name and date of birth.

If there is no record of your registration, or if you have not received a confirmation card but are sure you registered before the October 7 deadline, contact your county clerk.

Can I see a Kentucky sample ballot?

There is no sample ballot that applies to all of Kentucky, because each county has its own local races. But the Kentucky Secretary of State’s website has sample ballots based on the county you live in.

Jefferson County residents will be redirected to a page where they enter their address and receive a sample ballot for their precinct.

Do I need an ID to vote in Kentucky?

Voters must present some form of personal identification at the polls. Acceptable forms of identification include:

• Driver’s license

• Military ID

• University ID

• Kentucky Government ID

If you don’t have any of these, you can apply for a Statement of Reasonable Impediment and submit any of the following:

• Social Security card

• Any ID issued by a Kentucky county and approved by the state Board of Elections

• ID with photo

• Any food stamp identification card or nutrition assistance card that has your name on it

• Credit card

Hannah Pinski, Krista Johnson and Eleanor McCrary contributed to this article.

This article originally appeared in the Louisville Courier Journal: Election Day Countdown: Guide to Kentucky’s November Elections