Kentucky Midterm Election Guide 2022; Here's what you need to know

Grab a pen and some paper or open your calendar apps, here are some of the key dates you'll need to know prior to Election Day.

• 2022 General Midterm Election: Nov. 8, 2022.
• Last day to register for General Election: Oct. 11, 2022
• Request a mail-in absentee ballot: Sept. 24 through Oct. 25, 2022

On Election Day, polls will be open between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. local time. Remember, if you are in line at 6 p.m. you will be allowed to vote! 

You'll need to bring a valid form of identification with you to cast your ballot. 

Be sure to check your voter registration status by clicking here. The last day to register to vote in the General Election is on Oct. 11.

"Local elections matter more to your life than who the senator is or who the president is for that matter," State Secretary Michael Adams told WHAS11 News. "People come out to vote big in the big races but really it's the local races that control your quality of life."

Early voting ended on Saturday, Nov. 5. According to Kentucky state officials, more than 250,000 Kentuckians voted early.

Voting on Election Day, Nov. 8, will take place from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Remember, if you are still in line by the time polls close, you are still allowed to vote!

There will be several polling locations across Louisville.

Find a polling location near you.

Need help getting to a polling location? 

This year, all TARC routes on Nov. 8 will be fare-free to provide free access to and from Kentucky polling locations.

Officials with TARC said they will have normal service on “all fixed routes.” Riders can skip the fare box to take their route to a polling location or any other destination. 

This free service also includes those who use the TARC3 paratransit service.  

Louisville Mayor

Whomever wins the mayoral race will have to steer Kentucky’s largest city through an ongoing pandemic, a spike in gun violence, and the prospect that Louisville could face a $70 million budget shortfall by 2024.

They will also have to help the community heal as they are still reeling from the March 2020 death of Breonna Taylor – a Black woman who was shot in her apartment during a botched police raid.

Craig Greenberg (D)

The Louisville businessman fought his way through a crowded field of candidates during the May primary. He’s campaigning on pledges to improve public safety, restoring transparency and confidence in the city’s government.

Bill Dieruf (R)

Jeffersontown Mayor Bill Dieruf is looking to bring his experience to the city. A Republican has not held the Louisville mayor’s office since the late 1960s. He said he is the only candidate with the experience needed to help move Louisville forward. Dieruf also mentions his top priorities are public safety and community policing.

United States Senate 

Democrat Charles Booker is looking to unseat Republican candidate Rand Paul to be the state's next representative in the U.S. Senate. Booker is no stranger to politics. He was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 2018, becoming the youngest Black legislator in the state in 90 years. 

Booker says he is committed to fighting for the people and will continue advocating for local businesses and working people.

Incumbent Republican Rand Paul is hoping to keep his seat as the Kentucky Senate representative. Paul was first elected to the Senate in 2010 and said it's his mission to fight against government overreach. Over the years, he said he fought "tirelessly to return government to its limited, constitutional scope." 

Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District

State Sen. Morgan McGarvey currently serves as Kentucky's Senate Democratic Leader and has authored several bills that have become law and influenced even more.

Republican Stuart Ray is a Louisville businessman who said he considers himself to be a political outsider who wants to focus on improving the economy.

Both are campaigning for Congressman John Yarmuth's position who announced his retirement in October 2021.

JCPS School Board

District 1

• Diane Porter (Incumbent)
• Charlie Bell
• Carol Travis Clark
• Ahamara Brewster

District 3

• James Craig (Incumbent)
• Steve Ullum
• Gay Adelmann
• Sam Cowan

District 5

• Linda Duncan (Incumbent)
• Matthew Singleton
• Gregory Puccetti

District 6

• Corrie Shull (Incumbent)
• Misty Glen

County Clerk

Barbara "Bobbie" Hosclaw (R-Incumbent)

Tina Ward Pugh (D)

Amendment 1

Right now, only the governor can call a special session. However, the amendment would allow lawmakers to change the end date of the legislative session through three-fifths vote in each chamber. A special legislative session up to 12 days could be called by the House speaker and the Senate president. This also means changes for laws. They would now take effect on July 1 of that year when the bill/act was passed or 90 if it’s signed by the governor.

The ballot would contain a simple “yes” or “no” vote.

Amendment 2

Amendment 2 has been a high profile subject since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court in June. 

Constitutional Amendment 2 would add text to the state constitution that would eliminate the right to an abortion in the state.

Here's how the ballot question reads:

Are you in favor of amending the Constitution of Kentucky by creating a new Section of the Constitution to be numbered Section 26A to state as follows: To protect human life, nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion or require the funding of abortion?

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