On Tuesday, May 19, voters in Kenton County will elect a Democrat and Republican to face off in November to represent them in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. But there are also important races, including for seats in the Kentucky House, county commissioner and sheriff.
WVXU wants to give readers an easy way to access candidate information. This voter guide provides a quick way to find your candidates and navigate to their campaign website, social media and other relevant sites that offer more information about their positions.
Key dates
Deadline to request a mailed absentee ballot: May 5.
Excused, in-person absentee voting: May 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13
In-person no-excuse absentee voting: May 14-16
Primary: May 19. Polls will be open 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Can I vote absentee by mail?
If you can’t be at the polls on Election Day because of an approved reason (which include being stationed overseas with the military, living out-of-state to attend school, or having an illness or disability which makes it impossible to go vote in person) you can request an absentee ballot . The deadline to request a ballot mailed to your house is 14 days before the election: May 5. Mail-in absentee ballots must be received by your Clerk before 6:00 pm on Election Day to count. You can also put it in a drop box by that deadline. Find drop box locations here .
What about excused early voting?
There are a number of additional reasons other than those that qualify voters for mailed absentee ballots (including scheduled surgery, work travel or hours and being in the third trimester of pregnancy) which make voters eligible for excused in-person absentee voting.
Here’s when and where to do that:
When: May 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13
Where: Kenton County Government Center (1840 Simon Kenton Way, Covington, KY 41011) from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Can I vote early if I don't have an excuse?
Yes. You can do that at the following locations on Thursday, May 14, Friday, May 15 or Saturday, May 16:
Latonia Library
3911 Winston Ave
Covington, KY 41015
7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on May 14, 15 and 16
Lakeside Christian Church
195 Buttermilk Pike
Lakeside Park, KY 41017
7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on May 14, 15 and 16
Kenton County Government Center
1840 Simon Kenton Way
Covington, KY 41011
7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on May 14, 15 and 16
Independence Senior Center
2001 Jackwoods Pkwy
Independence, KY 41051
7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on May 14, 15 and 16
Covington Library
502 Scott St
Covington, KY 41011
7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on May 14, 15 and 16
St Barbara Event Center
4042 Turkeyfoot Rd
Erlanger, KY 41018
7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on May 14, 15 and 16
Where do I vote on Election Day?
In Kenton County, if you’re planning to use the Express Vote touch screen, you can go to any available polling place; select your county here to view your options. If you require a pre-printed ballot, you have to go to the location assigned to your precinct. You can look up that information here.
What do you need to bring with you?
In order to vote in Kentucky you must have a document that includes both your full name and your photo. As long as it has both a name and a photo, eligible identification can include federal or state IDs (such as drivers licenses or passports), documents issued by any branch of the military, a school ID or a local government ID.
How do Kentucky’s primaries work?
Kentucky has closed primaries, meaning that you can only vote in the primary that corresponds to the political party you were affiliated with on Dec. 31 of last year. Republicans will receive ballots that list Republican candidates; Democrats will receive ballots that list only Democratic candidates. Nonpartisan races (like those for judicial positions and many local city offices) will be on both ballots. If you aren’t registered as either a Democrat or Republican, you’ll be able to vote for just the nonpartisan races.
Candidates
Democratic candidates
U.S. Senate
U.S. House — KY-4
Kentucky House of Representatives
(Don't know what district you're in? Click here.)
KY House District 64
KY House District 69
County Commissioner
County commissioners have no duties beyond those they have as members of the fiscal court — though they may occasionally perform weddings with the approval of the governor or judge/executive. But as members of the fiscal court, they set county-wide policies, manage county budgets, and act as a point of contact for community needs.
Republican candidates
U.S. Senate
U.S. House — KY-4
Kentucky House of Representatives
(Don't know what district you're in? Click here.)
KY House District 63
KY House District 64
KY House District 69
KY House District 78
County Property Valuation Administrator (PVA)
The County Property Valuation Administrator (PVA) must make assessments of the values of properties in the county, prepare records, and any other duties necessary to uphold property law from the Department of Revenue. PVAs must ensure accurate, fair assessments of cash value of any property, including agricultural land. Anyone with interest in real property taxable in the commonwealth and has tangible personal property must list it to the PVA’s office.
County Sheriff
The duties of the county sheriff, who serves a four-year term, fall into four categories: tax collection, election duties, services to courts, and law enforcement. They spend most of their time on civil duties. By definition, the sheriff is a peace officer who possesses law enforcement powers, meaning they can make arrests with or without a warrant in some cases, and uphold federal, state, and local laws.
County Commissioner — District 2
County Commissioner — District 3
Constable — District 2
The county constables were generally considered peace keepers, and still may be in some counties. But current law does not require a constable to have any police training or certificate. They are mainly in charge of making reports to the fiscal court on civil processes/orders, totals, and any fees received for the civil service process.
