Mail-In Absentee Voting
Click to Request an Absentee Ballot
Voters are eligible to receive an absentee ballot mailed to the residential address in the county in which they are registered if their completed application is received fourteen (14) days before an election and if the voter is:- Prevented from voting in person at the polls on election day and from casting an excused or no-excuse in-person absentee ballot on all days in-person absentee voting is conducted because he or she will be absent from the county of his or her residence all hours and all days excused or no-excuse in-person absentee voting is conducted;
- A participant in the Secretary of State's crime victim address confidentiality protection program as authorized by KRS 14.312; or
- Not able to appear at the polls on election day or the days excused or no-excuse in-person absentee voting is conducted on the account of age, disability, or illness, and who has not been declared mentally disabled by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Voters are eligible to receive an absentee ballot mailed to an address different than the address listed in their voter registration record if their completed application is received fourteen (14) days before an election and if the voter is:
- A resident of Kentucky who is a covered voter as defined in KRS 117A.010 (UOCAVA/military-overseas voter);
- A student who temporarily resides outside the county of his or her residence (ballot MUST be mailed to the residential address where voter is residing at the time of application due to attendance at an educational institution);
- Incarcerated in jail and charged with a crime, but has not been convicted of the crime (ballot MUST be mailed to the jail where the voter is in custody at the time of the application);
- Changing or has changed his or her place of residence to a different state while the registration books are closed in the new state of residence before an election of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, in which case the voter shall be permitted to cast a mail-in absentee ballot for electors for President and Vice President of the United States only;
- Temporarily residing outside the state but still eligible to vote in this state; or
- Not able to appear at the polls on election day or the days excused or no-excuse in-person absentee voting is conducted on the account of age, disability, or illness, and who has not been declared mentally disabled by a court of competent jurisdiction (ballot MAY be mailed to a facility where the voter is receiving inpatient or residential medical treatment).
Voters, or their spouse, experiencing a medical emergency within fourteen (14) days or less of an election, are eligible to receive an absentee ballot mailed to an address different than the address listed in their voter registration record if their completed application is received fourteen (14) days before an election.
Excused In-Person Absentee Voting
Voters otherwise eligible to vote on election day are eligible to vote an in-person absentee ballot during the six (6) business days immediately before the last Thursday occurring before election day if they meet one (1) of the following requirements:
- Is a resident of Kentucky who is a covered voter as defined in KRS 117A.010, who will be absent from the county of his or her residence on the day of an election and during the days of no-excuse in-person absentee voting.
- Has surgery, or whose spouse has surgery, scheduled that will require hospitalization on the day of an election and during the days of no-excuse in person absentee voting.
- Temporarily resides outside the state but is still eligible to vote in this state and will be absent from the county of his or her residence on the day of an election and during the days of no-excuse in-person absentee voting.
- Is a resident of Kentucky who is a uniformed-service voter as defined in KRS 117A.010 confined to a military base on election day and during the days of no-excuse in-person absentee voting.
- Is in her last trimester of pregnancy.
- Has not been declared mentally disabled by a court of competent jurisdiction and, due to age, disability, or illness, is not able to appear at the polls on election day and during the days of no-excuse in-person absentee voting.
- Is a student who temporarily resides outside the county of his or her residence and will be absent from the county of his or her residence on the day of an election and during the days of no-excuse in-person absentee voting.
- Any person employed in an occupation that is scheduled to work during all days and all hours, which shall include commute time, the polls are open on election day and during the days of no-excuse in-person absentee voting.
- Any election officer tasked with election administration for the current election cycle.
- Any person prevented from voting in person at the polls on election day and from casting a no-excuse in-person absentee ballot on all days no-excuse in-person absentee voting is conducted because he or she will be absent from the county of his or her residence during all days and all hours no excuse in-person absentee voting is conducted.
Eligibility for Medical Emergency Absentee Voting
KRS 117.077 Absentee Ballot for Medical Emergencies
In case of a medical emergency within fourteen (14) days or less of an election, a
registered voter and the registered voter's spouse may apply for an absentee ballot. The
application shall state that the emergency condition occurred within the fourteen (14) day
period. The application shall be notarized. The application form may be requested by and
delivered by the voter or the spouse, parents, or children of the voter. If the voter has no
spouse, parents, or children, the application form may be requested by and delivered by
the brother, sister, niece, nephew, or designee of the voter. The application form shall be
restricted to the use of the voter. Upon receipt of the application and verification, the
county clerk shall issue an absentee ballot.