The state of Kentucky uses a closed primary election system. This means that anyone who wishes to cast ballots for a Republican or Democratic party candidate in the upcoming presidential and legislative primary elections on May 21 must declare a party affiliation to even receive a ballot. In other words, when it comes to the federal and state primaries, independents can kick rocks.
But what about local races?
In Kenton County, the Covington City Board of Commissioners will see 10 candidates compete for the four open seats on the city commission. Voters will cast ballots for four of the candidates, and two of the candidates will be eliminated, bringing the field down to eight candidates for the general election in November. The commission race is non-partisan; all of the candidates are running without official party affiliations. So, can a registered independent, who can’t vote in the federal and state primaries, vote for the non-party Covington race?
“Regardless of party affiliation, if you live in Covington, you have a ballot,” said Gabe Summe, the chair of the Kenton County Board of Elections.
So, the short answer is yes; even if you’re not a partisan, you can vote for the commissioners.
The long answer is that your party affiliation will determine the size of your ballots. If you’re a registered Republican, you’ll get ballots with the Republican federal and state candidates and the non-party commission candidates. If you’re a Democrat, you would get similar ballots with the Democratic candidates–which in this election only applies to the presidential election–plus the commission candidates. For non-partisan voters in Covington, your ballot will only contain the commission candidates.
The deadline to register to vote was April 22, and the next election deadline is May 7 at 11:59 p.m., which is the deadline to request an absentee ballot. Request an absentee ballot at the Kentucky secretary of state’s website.
Absentee turn-out tends to be low in Northern Kentucky. Summe said at a meeting of the board of elections on May 3 that the county had only received about 600 absentee requests thus far and only about 200 had been returned.
People can cast an in-person absentee ballot ahead of Election Day if they meet the criteria for absenteeism. This includes people who are not living in the county where they’re registered, people who have a disability that prevents them from voting during the early voting period or on Election Day or anyone who otherwise can’t vote during the allotted times. View a complete list of absentee criteria at the Kentucky State Board of Elections website.
In-person absentee voting will take place at the following dates at Kenton County Government center in Covington from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.:
- Wednesday, May 8
- Thursday, May 9
- Friday, May 10
- Monday, May 13
- Tuesday, May 14
- Wednesday, May 15
Voters can also cast their ballots early without meeting the criteria for absentee voting on May 16, May 17 and May 18 from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at any of the following locations (click for directions):
- Covington Branch of the Kenton County Library
- Lakeside Christian Church
- Kenton County Government Center
- Calvary Student Life Center
- Independence Senior & Community Center
Finally, people can cast normal ballots in person on Tuesday, May 21 at any of the established polling locations in Kenton County. View all of the Election Day polling places in Kenton County, based on voters’ precinct locations, at the Kenton County Board of Elections website. Find your precinct by entering your information at the Kentucky State Board of Elections website or by consulting your registration documentation.