When the polls close in Kentucky on Nov. 3, the election may be over for voters, but the process of making the results official is just getting started.
Before winners are certified and newly elected officials take office, election officials still have ballots to process, results to certify and deadlines for reviewing close races.
Here’s what Kentucky voters should know about what happens after Election Day.
What happens to absentee ballots?
Kentucky election officials can begin processing returned mail-in absentee ballots before Election Day, including verifying required information and voter signatures.
Counting can begin at 8 a.m. on Election Day, although results cannot be released before polls close at 6 p.m. local time.
Mail-in absentee ballots must reach the county clerk by 6 p.m. local time on Election Day to be counted. Unlike states that accept ballots arriving after Election Day if they were postmarked on time, Kentucky generally does not have a days-long waiting period for mail ballots to arrive.
Some provisional ballots, however, are reviewed after Election Day. Counties must certify their provisional ballot counts to the secretary of state by noon Friday, Nov. 6.
That’s one reason election-night totals are considered unofficial.
When do results become official?
Certification happens in stages.
For races contained within a single county, county boards generally must issue certificates of election by the second Monday after Election Day, which is Nov. 16 this year.
For statewide, congressional, Kentucky General Assembly and other races spanning multiple counties, counties must certify their totals to the secretary of state by Nov. 10.
The State Board of Elections then meets to tabulate the certified results no later than the third Monday after the election, Nov. 23 this year.
Certification doesn’t necessarily end the process. Close races can be subject to recanvasses, recounts or election contests.
A recanvass checks vote totals and voting equipment rather than recounting each individual ballot.
A candidate can request one if the difference between candidates is less than 1% of the total votes cast in the race. The request must be submitted by 4 p.m. on the Tuesday following the election, Nov. 10 this year.
Qualifying recanvasses begin at 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 12.
A recount goes further and involves retallying ballots.
Kentucky provides an automatic recount for certain races when the losing candidate trails by no more than 0.5% of the votes cast for the office.
That provision applies to races for the Kentucky General Assembly, U.S. Senate, U.S. House and statewide constitutional offices.
For applicable 2026 races, automatic recounts begin no later than Nov. 17 and generally must be completed within 14 days, excluding Sundays.
Candidates in certain races who don’t qualify for an automatic recount can also petition for one under Kentucky law.
When do the winners take office?
Winning on Nov. 3 doesn’t mean starting the job on Nov. 4. Generally, newly elected officials won’t begin their terms until January.
U.S. House and Senate: Members of congress begin their new terms at noon Jan. 3, 2027. U.S. representatives serve two-year terms and senators serve six-year terms.
Kentucky House and Senate: State representatives and senators begin their terms Jan. 1, 2027. Representatives serve two-year terms and senators serve four-year terms.
County offices: Kentucky’s county officials generally begin their terms on the first Monday in January, which is Jan. 4, 2027. That includes county judges/executive and county commissioners. County officials generally serve four-year terms.
Mayors and city councils: Kentucky mayors and members of city legislative bodies begin their terms Jan. 1, 2027. Mayors generally serve four-year terms, while city council and commission members generally serve two-year terms.
School boards: Newly elected school board members begin their four-year terms when their predecessors’ terms expire on the first Monday in January, which is Jan. 4, 2027.
