First, The Basics
Polls open on Tuesday, November 5 in Jefferson County (and all other 119 Kentucky counties) at 6 a.m. and close at 6 p.m local time. If you’re in line at 6 p.m., you will be allowed to vote. You can view your sample ballot on the Jefferson County Clerk’s website, and you should double-check your polling place because many have changed from where they were last November.
If you’re wondering if you’re registered to vote in Kentucky (and hopefully you are, because the deadline to register and still vote in November was last month!) you can check on the Secretary of State’s website.
Acceptable forms of identification include a driver's license, credit card, social security card, personal acquaintance of an Election Officer, any other identification with both your picture and signature or any U.S. government-issued ID card (for a full list of options, click here).
Tune in Monday at 8 p.m. to 89.3 WFPL (or listen online here) for a special broadcast edition of our voter guide, to help you make an informed choice when you go to the polls. And then on Tuesday, Election Day, we’ll be live from 7--9 p.m. for an election night special talking returns and what’s next for Kentucky. We’ll also take your calls; you can reach the studio at 502-814-TALK.
The Ballot
This year’s ballot is pretty straightforward — at least for most people in Jefferson County. You’ll see all of the state’s big constitutional offices: Governor/Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Auditor of Public Accounts, State Treasurer and Commissioner of Agriculture. If you live in Southwest Jefferson County, you’ll also be able to vote for a school board member. And there’s also a County Surveyor on the ballot, but no one is running — so if you have strong feelings about this job, this is your chance to write-in a viable candidate.
This is the big-ticket race, as Republican Gov. Matt Bevin vies for a second term in office. His running mate has changed; Bevin has replaced current Lt. Gov. Jenean Hampton with state Senator Ralph Alvarado on the ticket. His opponent is current Democratic Attorney General Andy Beshear; he’s running with educator Jacqueline Coleman as his Lieutenant Governor.
Kentuckians will elect the state's next chief elections officer. Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes has already served two terms and can’t seek a third. Vying to replace her are Democrat Heather French Henry and Republican Michael Adams. Henry has recently served as the commissioner and deputy commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs. Adams is an election lawyer who previously served on the State Board of Elections.
Because current Attorney General Andy Beshear is in the race for governor, this seat is open, and Republicans are hoping to gain control of the office for the first time since 1947. Former Attorney General Greg Stumbo, a Democrat, is trying to win back the position. After leaving the office in 2008, he was the House Speaker until he lost his reelection bid in 2016. He’s running against Republican Daniel Cameron, a former general counsel to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. If Cameron is elected, he’ll be the first African American to hold statewide office running on his own ticket. (Current Lt. Gov. Jenean Hampton is the first African American to hold statewide office in Kentucky, but she was elected on a slate with current Gov. Matt Bevin.)
Commonly known as “state auditor,” this position heads an independent office tasked with reviewing accounts, financial transactions and the performance of all state government. Incumbent Republican Mike Harmon is seeking reelection; Democrat Sheri Donahue and Libertarian Kyle Hugenberg are challenging him for his seat.
Kentucky’s treasurer is responsible for making sure the state’s spending is legal and constitutional. Even though it’s a partisan race, the state treasurer is meant to serve as a watchdog over taxpayer dollars, no matter the political party in the legislature or who’s in the governor’s mansion.
The current state treasurer, Republican Allison Ball, is seeking reelection. She’s pointing to her work over the past four years to create a state spending transparency website, backing efforts to teach financial literacy in schools and catching fraud as reasons voters should give her another term. Her opponent is Democrat Michael Bowman, U.S. Bank branch manager in Louisville. Bowman recently also ran for Jefferson County Clerk last year, but lost to incumbent Bobbie Holsclaw. He wants Kentucky lawmakers to legalize gambling and marijuana to bring in additional tax revenue to help solve the state’s retirement pension crisis. He also wants to make a phone app for Kentuckians to more easily find out if they have unclaimed property.
Kentucky’s commissioner of agriculture in many ways is a marketer and advocate for the various agricultural organizations and associations in the state. The department also helps farmers and businesses grow various crops, monitors the needs and health of agriculture in the state, regulates hemp growing licenses and even inspects 60,000 gas pumps across the state.
Current Commissioner of Agriculture, Republican Ryan Quarles, is seeking a second term. His challengers include Democrat Robert Haley Conway and Libertarian Josh Gilpin.
Jefferson County Board of Education
Voters in District 4 of Jefferson County will also see school board candidates on their ballot. This district encompasses the neighborhoods of Cane Run, Pleasure Ridge Park, Shively and Valley Station. Joe Marshall has been in the seat since August, when he was picked by other board members to fill a vacancy. Now, Marshall is running for the final year of that vacant term; he’s being challenged by Joe Goodin, Debbie Gray, Joe Laurenz, Shameka Parrish-Wright, Cassandra Ryan and Dave Whitlock.
For much more coverage about this year's races and the candidates, click here. Happy voting!