Last updated at 12:52 p.m.
It’s Election Day across the country, and polls are open in Kentucky. In Louisville, voters will choose a new mayor for the first time in more than a decade, among a long list of open races.
State law says if you’re in line by 6 p.m., you must be allowed to vote. You should bring a government issued ID like a driver’s license, U.S. passport, state identification card or military ID.
You can learn more about the candidates on your ballot in the 2022 Voter Guide from Louisville Public Media. And you can see more of our election reporting here.
WFPL News reporters are in the community talking to voters at polling places. We'll share updates throughout the day.
Caitlin Maguire held her 2-year-old daughter in her arms as she went to cast her ballot Tuesday at Seneca High School. She said she loves voting on Election Day and wants to instill that passion for the democratic process in her daughter, Aoife. Maguire was particularly motivated by Amendment 2, which if successful would change the Kentucky Constitution to say there is nothing in it that guarantees the right to an abortion. She also spent time getting to know some of the numerous judicial candidates on the ballot.
"I think every race on the ballot is important. I think people really overlook judges, because those really affect people’s everyday lives," Maquire told WFPL. "Amendment 2, especially as a woman of reproductive age with a uterus, it’s really scary to me right now. I have a child, and we just want to make sure that all women can make their own choices about their bodies."
Mandy Connell, from the Bon Air neighborhood, also voted at Seneca. She told WFPL that Amendment 2 was her primary reason for coming out early on Tuesday.
"To make sure that women have choices in the future, it's not dictated in regards to abortion or their choice whether they want to carry a child, or not carry a child," she said. "Amendment 2 was my bigger obstacle. [I wanted to] to come out and make sure that women are heard, and make sure that in the future, we still have an opinion or a choice in our own bodies."
Connell said her busy schedule meant she had to come out on Election Day, rather than vote early. While she's not someone who votes in every election, she said Amendment 2 was something she didn't want to miss her chance to weigh in on.
Students from Mercy Academy are conducting exit polls today. Cara LaCoe, a 17-year-old senior at Mercy, said she was excited for the opportunity to interact with voters after having done exit polling in the primary elections.
"It was a little nerve-wracking at first, a little daunting. But once you get one done, it was really fun and I really enjoyed it," she said.
LaCoe, who turns 18 in a month, said she's been getting more interested in politics and the democratic process. She's part of the AP government and politics class that's leading the exit polling.
Teacher Abigail Kremer has been taking her students to conduct exit polling since 2019.
"I really wanted to make sure they had a meaningful experience on Election Day," she said. "Something that got them out and engaging with voters."
The students will analyze general election data and compare it to their primary election polling.
One of the polling locations in west Louisville is in the community room of an apartment complex. It means that a voter can, and did, come down in his robe and slippers to cast his ballot. He was the first voter of the day at the Elliott Park apartments polling place on 29th Street.
Donna Carr was another early rise and early voter at the Elliott Park location. She was especially keen to vote against Amendment 2.
"I think that we should have the right to govern our own bodies instead of waiting for our government to say it's OK for you to do this or you can't do that."
Jacqueline Phillips, who lives nearby, was energized to vote for Democratic mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg, who she hopes will institute better policing practices and reform the city's jail system.
"I'd like to see the jails get better," Phillips told WFPL. "I have a son on drugs, and I'm scared for him in case he does go back to jail. That's my baby, but I don't want to see nothing happen to nobody's child."
She also intended to vote against Amendment 1, which would allow Kentucky's legislature to call itself into session. Right now, only the governor has that power.
Later in the morning, Democratic candidate for Louisville mayor, Craig Greenberg, brought his family to the Louisville Presbyterian Seminary, their polling place.
"We're here today, Election Day, and I think everyone in the city is ready to move forward in a new direction," Greenberg said. "And I'm certainly ready to get to work. My family is ready. Our team is ready to get to work tomorrow."
His son, Daniel, cast a ballot for the first time Tuesday and said he was excited to be able to vote for his dad.
Greenberg’s Republican challenger, Bill Dieruf, voted early last week in Jeffersontown, where he's mayor. Dieruf also expressed confidence to reporters that he can pull off a win in the race.
