Q: If I have a driver’s license am I automatically registered to vote?

A: Not necessarily. You have the opportunity to register to vote when you visit the driver’s license office, but you will only be registered if you fill out and sign a registration card before the date registration closes.

Q: Will I receive a voter registration ID card when I register to vote?

A: We do not issue voter registration ID cards. You will receive a confirmation post card in the mail shortly after you register or change your address. This card will confirm your new precinct information and list your voting location.

Q: Do I need to take anything with me when I go to the polls?

A: All voters must produce identification prior to voting.  KRS117.227 and 31 KAR 4:010 provide the types of ID that can be used by the voter such as:

1.  Kentucky Driver’s license, Kentucky Identification Card or Real ID
2. Social security card
3. Credit card
4. Other identification card with both your picture and your signature
5. Any U.S. government-issued identification card with your picture and your signature
6. Any Kentucky state government-issued identification card with your picture and signature

Q: I am a student. Do I vote here or in my home county?

A: Students have the choice to stay registered in their home county or to register in the county where they are attending school, but must vote in the county in which they are registered.

Q: How often do I need to re-register?

A: You do not need to re-register unless you move out of the county and then return. Keeping your address updated with our office and voting regularly will keep your registration active.

Q: What should I do if I change my name?

A:  Update your voter registration information on-line, by mail on a new registration card or in person at either the county clerk’s office or the driver’s license office.

Q: Are seventeen year olds eligible to vote?

A:  Yes, a seventeen year old may register and vote in primary elections as long as they will be eighteen by the date of the next general election.

Q: I previously had a felony conviction. Can I still register to vote?

A: Convicted felons must have their voting rights restored before they can register to vote.  To check eligibility for restoration of civil rights please go to www.civilrightsrestoration.ky.gov or call the Department of Corrections at 502-564-4360

Q: What should I do if I move?

A: Moves within the county: Update your address with the county clerk in person, on-line, mail in a new registration card or change your address at the driver’s license office. If you have not done this before Election Day you may still cast your ballot. You must go to the voting precinct that serves your new address on Election Day to vote and update your registration address at that time.

A: Moves outside of the county: Registration books close 28 days before each election. If you move to another Kentucky county you must register in your new county before the books close in order to be eligible to vote. If you move during the 28 day period that the books are closed, you may return to your previous county to vote in that one election only. You will need to change your registration to your new county as soon as the registration books reopen.

Q: How do I change my party affiliation?

A:  While you may change your party affiliation anytime, to qualify to vote in a primary you must change your party affiliation by December 31st of the current year.  If you change your affiliation between January 1st and the primary election date, you will only be able to vote in the nonpartisan primary races.

Q: If I am not registered as a Democrat or a Republican may I vote for any Democrat or Republican candidates of my choice in the May Primary?

A: No. If you are registered with a political group or organization, or as an Independent, you cannot vote in any of the partisan races, but you may vote in all nonpartisan primary races. The nonpartisan offices include mayor, city council or commission, school board, soil and water conservation, and all judicial offices. In the GENERAL election in November you may vote for any candidates of your choice regardless of party affiliation.

Q: What hours are the polls open?

A: The polls are open from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. You MUST be in line by 6:00 pm in order to vote

Q: Can I go to a precinct near my office instead of the one where I live?

A:  For Early Voting, you can go to any of the available voting centers.    On Election Day, voters can go to their assigned locations to use an Express Vote touch screen ballot marker or receive a pre-printed ballot. A voter can go to any available polling location but must use the Express Vote ballot marker.

Q: Is voter registration proof of residency?

A. No. Your voter registration information only proves the date you registered to vote in the county.

Q: When I register to vote in Kenton County does that automatically delete me from the voter rolls elsewhere?

A: If you were registered in another county in Kentucky, you will automatically be deleted from your previous county. If you are registered in another state, you will need to contact that state to be removed from their voter rolls.

Q: I am moving out of the state and want to register in a new state. How can I be removed from the registration rolls here?

A: Make your request to be removed by filling out the REMOVAL FROM VOTER ROLLS FORM and return to the County Clerk.

Q: What if I need assistance at the polls?

A:  Under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), all states are required to have a voting machine in each polling place that allows anyone with a disability to cast a ballot free of outside assistance.  Voters may ask for voting assistance if they are:

1. Voters who cannot operate the machine due to a physical disability
2. Voters who are blind or visually impaired
3. Voters who are unable to read English

If a voter requests assistance with their ballot they can bring a person of their choice or two election officers (one of each party) may assist the voter.  A person may not be assisted by their employer, the employer’s agent, a union officer or agent of that voter’s union.

Q: How do I find out who the candidates are and the offices they are seeking?

A: A sample composite ballot will be published by the county clerk in the local newspaper at least 7 days before election day. You may also call the voter registration office at 859-392-1620 and inquire about the elections to be held in your county. The Kentucky State Board of Elections’ website will also be able to supply you with this information.

Q: How do I operate the voting machine?

A: You may request instructions on how to use the voting machine from the precinct election officials assigned to your precinct on election day.

Q: Can I vote by Provisional Ballot?

A: A provisional ballot is only used in federal elections to cast a ballot for federal offices by an individual who resides in the voting precinct and falls under one of the circumstances below:

• A voter whose name does not appear on the roster and whose registration status cannot be determined by the precinct officer.
• A voter whose name does not appear on the roster and who has been verified as ineligible to vote.
• A voter who does not have identification.
• A voter who is voting as a result of a federal or state court order or any order under state law in effect 10 days prior to election day which extends the polling hours.
• A voter who has been challenged by all four precinct election officers.

If you vote a provisional ballot, you can determine if your vote counted by using the Provisional Voter Information search feature located on the State Board of Election’s web site or by calling your local county clerk of the county in which you cast the ballot.

Q: What if I can’t get to the polls on Election Day?

A: Some voters qualify to vote by absentee ballot either in person at the county clerk’s office or by mail. You may review the “Absentee Voting ” section on this website or call the voter registration office at 859-392-1620 for more information.