Campaign signs outside of Lakeside Christian Church on May 16, 2026. Photo by Nathan Granger | LINK nky

Saturday’s rainy weather isn’t stopping Northern Kentucky residents from turning out to vote early. Saturday is the final day to vote early in person before next week’s primary, and LINK nky went out to Lakeside Christian Church, one of Kenton County’s early voting locations, Saturday morning to chat with some voters.

“I work as a driver, and sometimes I deliver radioactive cancer drugs up in Indianapolis and stuff, and there are days that I don’t know if I can get back in time to vote,” said Jim Fahey, a Villa Hills resident, in the church’s parking lot after voting.

Polls operate from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, and it’s not always easy to carve out time on a work day to make it out. Another voter, Lakeside Park resident Doug Ginn, told LINK nky he voted early so he “wouldn’t have to wait in line.”

Primaries don’t always command the same turnout as general elections. An average of 11% of people voted in the primary election in Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties in 2024.

This year’s a little different, though, most notably due to congressional primaries for Mitch McConnell’s Senate seat and the House seat for District 4, currently occupied by Thomas Massie.

Fahey, for instance, who said he was critical of the Trump administration, said the congressional races were one of his primary motivators for voting this year.

“I think it’s important to get some people in Congress that can balance out and try to rein him in,” Fahey said.

Yet, numerous state, county and even some municipal races have primaries this year, as well.

“Especially in these local races where there’s a smaller number of voters, your vote, in fact, really does matter,” former Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson told LINK nky last year. “A couple of years ago, we had a state legislative race in Kentucky that was decided by one vote.”

Kentucky is one of 13 states in the Union to mandate closed primaries by law. Congressional and state-level primary elections are closed. That means if you want to vote those primaries, you must be registered as a member of one of the major parties.

You can vote early until 3 p.m. in Boone County, 4 p.m. in Kenton County and 5 p.m. in Campbell County on Saturday. Click on the links below to find location information, and check out LINK nky’s Election HQ to learn more about the upcoming primary on Tuesday.

Meghan Goth and Maggy McDonnel contributed reporting to this story.