In Lexington, 36 randomly-selected residents took part in one of the country’s first civic assemblies to recommend changes to the city’s governing charter.
The randomly-selected group of Lexington residents deliberated on council pay and charter review. Its recommendations could wind up on the ballot for local voters.
In this year's election, Kentucky voters will find races for Congress, the state's General Assembly, judges, county offices, city offices, and school boards, along with an amendment to the state's constitution.
That includes a quickly-approaching May 19th primary, where contests for Lexington's Mayor, Council District 5, and several Democratic primary races will be on local ballots. The Fayette County Clerk's Office has been preparing by recruiting poll workers.
If you need help getting up to speed on the primary, check out our Vote Local Lexington guide to get familiar with the candidates running for office.
CivicLex is also hosting two candidate meet-and-greet events ahead of the primary. Both will take place at Henry Clay High School, located at 2100 Fontaine Road.
The first event will feature candidates for Lexington's Mayor and Council District 5. It takes place on April 29 at 6 p.m.
The second event is on May 6 at 6 p.m. It will feature candidates running for local county offices.
One key thing to know: Kentucky has closed primaries for partisan races. This means that, in those races, you can only vote in the primary if you're a registered voter of that political party. Democrats vote in the Democratic primary, and Republicans in the Republican primary.
For example, registered Democrats in Fayette County, will see the some of the following primary races on their ballots, depending on where they vote.
Primary elections help both parties narrow the field of candidates before the general election, which is Nov. 3 this year. Voter turnout tends to be lower in primary elections, but primary voters play a important role in shaping what the ballot looks like for voters in the general election that follows.
The deadline to register to vote in Kentucky's primary elections is 4 p.m. local time on April 20th. The deadline to change political party affiliation was December 31, 2025. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time during Kentucky's May 19th primaries.
Kentucky's one-stop website for checking your registration status, finding your polling place, and viewing your sample ballot is govote.ky.gov.
However you decide to vote – absentee, early in-person voting or at the polls on May 19th – make a plan first.
Know your polling place and bring an acceptable form of voter ID. It must include your name and photo. In Kentucky, examples include Kentucky state government-issued IDs, U.S. military IDs, or a student ID from a public or private college or university.
Absentee voting in Kentucky
Kentucky has mail-in absentee voting and in-person absentee voting, both of which are available to qualifying voters.
The online state portal to request an absentee ballot is now open. Mail-in absentee ballots must be requested between April 4th and May 5th. In Fayette County, they must be received by the County Clerk's Office no later than 6 p.m. on May 19th to be counted. Absentee ballots can be dropped off or mailed to the County Clerk's office at 162 East Main St, according to Lexington's voting information website.
In-person absentee voting with a qualifying excuse is May 6th-8th and May 11th-13th. It takes place from 8 a.m to 4:30 p.m. at the Fayette County Clerk's Office.
Aaron covers the Lexington Fayette Urban County Council as a City Hall Reporter for CivicLex. His background is in Service Journalism, and he’s passionate about helping Lexington residents stay informed about happenings in local government.
In Lexington, 36 randomly-selected residents took part in one of the country’s first civic assemblies to recommend changes to the city’s governing charter.
The randomly-selected group of Lexington residents deliberated on council pay and charter review. Its recommendations could wind up on the ballot for local voters.
The 2026 elections will bring big changes to the Lexington Urban County Council, with seven council incumbents not running for re-election, including many council veterans. This means Lexington voters will see lots of new faces on the ballot this year.
