HomeWHENWhen Is The Primary Election In Kentucky

When Is The Primary Election In Kentucky

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Primary elections allow voters to determine which candidates compete in the general election and can be nonpartisan or partisan. Nonpartisan and all-party primaries are used to narrow a wider field of candidates for a nonpartisan office. In partisan primaries, voters choose the candidates they prefer for a political party to nominate in the general election.

The laws governing primary elections vary from state to state and can even vary within states by locality and political party. This variation has created a number of different types of partisan primary elections. For example, only registered party members are allowed to vote in closed primaries, while registered party members and unaffiliated voters are allowed to vote in semi-closed primaries, and all voters are allowed to vote in open primaries.

Primary elections also vary by the way their outcomes are determined. Majority systems require the winning candidate to receive at least fifty percent of the votes cast, while plurality systems do not. In top-two primaries, top-four primaries, and blanket primaries, all candidates are listed on the same ballot, regardless of partisan affiliation.

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See the sections below for general information on the use of primary elections in the United States and specific information on the types of primaries held in Kentucky:

  1. Background: This section outlines the different types of primary election participation models used in the United States, including open primaries, closed primaries, semi-closed primaries, and top-two primaries. This section also details the various methods employed to determine the outcomes of primary elections.
  2. Primary election systems used in Kentucky: This section details the primary election systems employed in Kentucky, including primaries for congressional and state-level offices (e.g., state legislative seats, state executive offices, etc).
  3. State legislation and ballot measures: This sections lists state legislation relevant to primary election policy in Kentucky.

Background

In general, there are two broad criteria by which primary elections can vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction:

  1. Rules of participation: In jurisdictions that conduct partisan primaries, who can vote in a party’s primary? Is participation limited to registered party members, or can other eligible voters (such as unaffiliated voters or voters belonging to other parties) participate? In general, there are three basic types of primary election participation models: open primaries, closed primaries, and semi-closed primaries.
  2. Methods for determining election outcomes: What share of the total votes cast does a candidate have to receive in order to advance to the general election? Methods for determining primary election outcomes include plurality voting systems, majority voting systems, top-two primaries, top-four primaries, and blanket primaries.

For more complete information on these criteria, click “[Show more]” below.

Primary election systems used in Kentucky

Congressional and state-level elections

In 20 states, at least one political party utilizes open primaries to nominate partisan candidates for congressional and state-level (e.g. state legislators, governors, etc.) offices. In 15 states, at least one party utilizes closed primaries to nominate partisan candidates for these offices. In 14 states, at least one party utilizes semi-closed primaries. In 5 states, top-two primaries or a variation are used.[6] These state primaries are a separate entity and are not included in the totals for open, closed, or semi-closed primaries.

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In Kentucky, primary elections are closed, meaning that only registered party members can participate. The winner of a primary election is the candidate who receives the largest number of votes, even if he or she does not win an outright majority of votes cast.[7][1][8][9]

Kentucky state law generally stipulates that all partisan candidates for elective office be nominated via primary election. The table below lists congressional and state-level Kentucky offices for which parties must conduct primary elections to nominate their candidates.[10]

Elective offices for which parties must conduct primaries to nominate general election candidates Office Number of seats State executive offices (Including governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, attorney general, auditor, and agriculture commissioner) 7 United States Senators 2 United States Representatives 6 State legislators 138 Local offices Varies by municipality

State legislation and ballot measures

Recent legislation related to primary elections in Kentucky

The table below lists bills related to primary elections that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in Kentucky. The following information is included for each bill:

  • State
  • Bill number
  • Official name or caption
  • Most recent action date
  • Legislative status
  • Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized alphabetically, first by state and then by bill number. The table displays up to 100 results by default. To view additional results, use the arrows in the upper-right corner of the table. For more information about a particular bill, click the bill number. This will open a separate page with additional information.

Primary systems ballot measures

See also: Elections and campaigns on the ballot and List of Kentucky ballot measures

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Since 2017, Ballotpedia has tracked no ballot measures relating to primary elections in Kentucky.

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The Ballot Bulletin

The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. You’ll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.

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See also

  • Electoral systems in Kentucky
  • Voting in Kentucky
  • Primary election

External links

  • National Conference of State Legislatures, “State Primary Election Types”
  • FairVote, “Primaries”

Footnotes

Election policyElection legislationElection administrationVoting policyElectoral systems policyPrimary elections policyRedistricting policyRecount lawsBallot access forpolitical candidatesBallot access forpresidential candidatesBallot access forpolitical partiesBallotpediaAboutEditorial

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