136,000 Kentuckians Cast Ballots on First Day of Early Voting

Nearly 136,000 Kentuckians turned out to cast their ballots on the first day of in-person, no-excuse early voting, signaling a surge in civic engagement across the commonwealth.

A 66 Percent Jump From 2022

The numbers, shared by Secretary of State Michael Adams on X, point to a rush to the polls. A total of 135,901 residents voted early Thursday, marking a 66% increase compared to the 81,961 ballots cast on the first day of early voting during the 2022 midterm elections.

Voter registration data from the opening day reveals a distinct breakdown among party lines. Democrats made up the largest share of Thursday’s early voters at 66,166, followed closely by 60,793 Republicans and 8,942 independents.

These figures stand in sharp contrast to past election cycles. On the first day of early voting in 2022, 37,640 Democrats, 39,349 Republicans, and 4,972 independents cast ballots. During the 2023 cycle, totals reached 44,909 Democrats, 35,342 Republicans, and 4,392 independents.

By 6 p.m. Thursday, Secretary Adams noted that over 95,600 registered Democrats had participated either early or via absentee ballot, accounting for roughly 7% of total Democratic registration in the state. Republican participation reached 83,726 voters—about 5% of party registration—while 12,579 independents, or 7% of their total registry, had also cast their votes.

Surging Turnout in Kentucky’s Largest Counties

The heavy turnout extended deep into Kentucky’s two largest counties, driving substantial increases.

In Jefferson County, absentee and early voters had cast 32,549 ballots by 6 p.m. Thursday. That volume outpaces the 20,606 recorded at the exact same juncture in 2022 and the 20,347 logged in 2023.

Fayette County mirrored the trend, reporting 12,620 early and absentee ballots cast by Thursday evening. That compares to 8,861 voters at this point in 2022 and 9,896 in 2023.

With early voting scheduled to wrap up on Saturday, Oct. 31, election officials are bracing for a final weekend push before Election Day. For further details on Decision 2026 coverage, readers can consult Spectrum News 1.