Nearly 136,000 Kentuckians voted on the first day of early voting, about 66% more than in 2022

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 31) — Kentucky voters showed up early and in large numbers this week. On Thursday, the first of three days of no-excuse early voting, 135,901 people cast ballots, Secretary of State Michael Adams reported.

That is roughly 66% more than the 81,961 who voted on the first day of early voting in the 2022 midterms, Spectrum News 1 reported, citing Adams' figures.

More Democrats than Republicans turned out. By party registration, 66,166 Democrats, 60,793 Republicans and 8,942 independents voted Thursday. On the first day in 2022, Republicans had a slight edge, 39,349 to 37,640.

Adams, a Republican, told the Kentucky Lantern the day went smoothly, with only small hiccups and no major problems. He said strong early turnout could raise a question for lawmakers later: whether Kentucky needs more early voting sites, more early voting days, or both.

In Lexington, some voters waited an hour or more in lines that stretched out of public library branches. Fayette County, at the center of the state's most competitive U.S. House race, recorded nearly 7,300 ballots Thursday. A spokesperson for the county clerk told the Lexington Herald-Leader that turnout was running close to a presidential year and that the long ballot, with 24 races and several amendments, was slowing lines down.

Jefferson County counted about 25,000 votes Thursday. About 1,100 of them came through a new drive-through voting site at the Kentucky Expo Center in Louisville, a pilot program that will stay open on Election Day, the Lantern reported.

Saturday, Oct. 31, is the last day of early voting. Polls open for Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voters can find their polling place at go.vote.ky.gov.