Nearly 136,000 Kentuckians turned out to cast their ballots on the first day of in-person, no-excuse early voting, marking a sharp 66% jump compared to the last midterm election, Spectrum News reported.
Surging Turnout Outpaces Past Midterms
The numbers, shared by Secretary of State Michael Adams on X, show that 135,901 voters made it to the polls on Thursday. That figure easily eclipses the 81,961 people who voted on the first day of early voting during the 2022 midterms. Registered Democrats made up the largest share of Thursday’s electorate, with 66,166 casting ballots, followed by 60,793 Republicans and 8,942 independents.
By comparison, the first day of early voting in 2022 saw 37,640 Democrats, 39,349 Republicans, and 4,972 independents take part. In 2023, the totals shifted to 44,909 Democrats, 35,342 Republicans, and 4,392 independents.
Adams noted that by 6 p.m. Thursday, over 95,600 registered Democrats had cast votes early or via absentee ballot, accounting for roughly 7% of total Democratic registration. On the other side of the aisle, 83,726 Republicans had voted, representing about 5% of Republican registration. Independent turnout sat at 12,579 voters, or roughly 7% of independent registration.
Urban Centers Drive the Increase
The heavy participation extended directly into Kentucky’s largest population centers. In Jefferson County, absentee and early totals reached 32,549 by 6 p.m. Thursday. That local volume outpaces both the 20,606 voters recorded at the same point in 2022 and the 20,347 logged in 2023.
Fayette County saw a similar upward trend, with 12,620 early and absentee ballots cast by Thursday evening. That compares to 8,861 voters at the same juncture in 2022 and 9,896 in 2023.
Early voting for Decision 2026 runs through Saturday, Oct. 31. Voters looking for more information can consult Spectrum News 1’s special section.
