# Elections in Kentucky

Elections in the U.S. state of Kentucky are held regularly. Politics in Kentucky has historically been very competitive. The state leaned toward the Democratic Party during the 1860s after the Whig Party dissolved. During the Civil War, the southeastern part of the state aligned with the Union and tended to support Republican candidates thereafter, while the central and western portions remained heavily Democratic even into the following decades. Kentucky would be part of the Democratic Solid South until the mid-20th century.
Since 1952, voters in the Commonwealth supported the three Democratic candidates elected to the White House, all from Southern states: Lyndon B. Johnson from Texas in 1964, Jimmy Carter from Georgia in 1976, and Bill Clinton from Arkansas in 1992 and 1996. But by the 21st century, the state had become a Republican stronghold in federal elections, supporting that party's presidential candidates by double-digit margins since 2000. At the same time, voters have continued to elect Democratic candidates to state and local offices in many jurisdictions. As of April 2024, 46.25 percent of the state's voters were officially registered as Republicans, while 43.36 percent were registered Democrats, whose members tend to be conservative. Some 10.40 percent were registered with another political party or as Independents. Despite the Democratic voter registration advantage, the state has elected Republican candidates for federal office routinely since the beginning of the 21st century.
From 1964 through 2004, Kentucky voted for the eventual winner of the presidential election each time, until losing its bellwether status in the 2008 election. That year Republican John McCain won Kentucky, carrying it 57 percent to 41 percent, but lost the national popular and electoral votes to Democrat Barack Obama. Further hampering Kentucky's status as a bellwether state, 116 of Kentucky's 120 counties supported Republican Mitt Romney in the 2012 election, who lost to Barack Obama nationwide.
In a 2020 study, Kentucky was ranked as the 8th hardest state for citizens to vote in.
United States presidential election results for Kentucky :
| Year | Republican / Whig | Republican / Whig | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 1,337,494 | 64.40% | 704,043 | 33.90% | 35,289 | 1.70% |
| 2020 | 1,326,646 | 62.05% | 772,474 | 36.13% | 38,889 | 1.82% |
| 2016 | 1,202,971 | 62.52% | 628,854 | 32.68% | 92,325 | 4.80% |
| 2012 | 1,087,190 | 60.47% | 679,370 | 37.78% | 31,488 | 1.75% |
| 2008 | 1,048,462 | 57.37% | 751,985 | 41.15% | 27,140 | 1.49% |
| 2004 | 1,069,439 | 59.54% | 712,733 | 39.68% | 13,907 | 0.77% |
| 2000 | 872,492 | 56.50% | 638,898 | 41.37% | 32,797 | 2.12% |
| 1996 | 623,283 | 44.88% | 636,614 | 45.84% | 128,811 | 9.28% |
| 1992 | 617,178 | 41.34% | 665,104 | 44.55% | 210,618 | 14.11% |
| 1988 | 734,281 | 55.52% | 580,368 | 43.88% | 7,868 | 0.59% |
| 1984 | 822,782 | 60.04% | 539,589 | 39.37% | 8,090 | 0.59% |
| 1980 | 635,274 | 49.07% | 616,417 | 47.61% | 42,936 | 3.32% |
| 1976 | 531,852 | 45.57% | 615,717 | 52.75% | 19,573 | 1.68% |
| 1972 | 676,446 | 63.37% | 371,159 | 34.77% | 19,894 | 1.86% |
| 1968 | 462,411 | 43.79% | 397,541 | 37.65% | 195,941 | 18.56% |
| 1964 | 372,977 | 35.65% | 669,659 | 64.01% | 3,469 | 0.33% |
| 1960 | 602,607 | 53.59% | 521,855 | 46.41% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 572,192 | 54.30% | 476,453 | 45.21% | 5,160 | 0.49% |
| 1952 | 495,029 | 49.84% | 495,729 | 49.91% | 2,390 | 0.24% |
| 1948 | 341,210 | 41.48% | 466,756 | 56.74% | 14,692 | 1.79% |
| 1944 | 392,448 | 45.22% | 472,589 | 54.45% | 2,884 | 0.33% |
| 1940 | 410,384 | 42.30% | 557,322 | 57.45% | 2,457 | 0.25% |
| 1936 | 369,702 | 39.92% | 541,944 | 58.51% | 14,560 | 1.57% |
| 1932 | 394,716 | 40.15% | 580,574 | 59.06% | 7,773 | 0.79% |
| 1928 | 558,734 | 59.36% | 381,070 | 40.48% | 1,470 | 0.16% |
| 1924 | 398,966 | 48.93% | 374,855 | 45.98% | 41,511 | 5.09% |
| 1920 | 452,480 | 49.26% | 456,497 | 49.69% | 9,659 | 1.05% |
| 1916 | 241,854 | 46.50% | 269,990 | 51.91% | 8,225 | 1.58% |
| 1912 | 115,512 | 25.46% | 219,584 | 48.40% | 118,602 | 26.14% |
| 1908 | 235,711 | 48.03% | 244,092 | 49.74% | 10,916 | 2.22% |
| 1904 | 205,457 | 47.13% | 217,170 | 49.82% | 13,319 | 3.06% |
| 1900 | 227,132 | 48.51% | 235,126 | 50.21% | 6,007 | 1.28% |
| 1896 | 218,171 | 48.93% | 217,894 | 48.86% | 9,863 | 2.21% |
| 1892 | 135,462 | 39.74% | 175,461 | 51.48% | 29,941 | 8.78% |
| 1888 | 155,138 | 44.98% | 183,830 | 53.30% | 5,900 | 1.71% |
| 1884 | 118,690 | 42.93% | 152,961 | 55.32% | 4,830 | 1.75% |
| 1880 | 106,490 | 39.87% | 148,875 | 55.74% | 11,739 | 4.39% |
| 1876 | 97,568 | 37.44% | 160,060 | 61.41% | 2,998 | 1.15% |
| 1872 | 88,766 | 46.44% | 99,995 | 52.32% | 2,374 | 1.24% |
| 1868 | 39,566 | 25.45% | 115,889 | 74.55% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1864 | 27,787 | 30.17% | 64,301 | 69.83% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1860 | 1,364 | 0.93% | 25,651 | 17.54% | 119,201 | 81.52% |
| 1856 | 0 | 0.00% | 74,642 | 52.54% | 67,416 | 47.46% |
| 1852 | 57,428 | 51.44% | 53,949 | 48.32% | 266 | 0.24% |
| 1848 | 67,145 | 57.46% | 49,720 | 42.54% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1844 | 61,249 | 54.09% | 51,988 | 45.91% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1840 | 58,488 | 64.20% | 32,616 | 35.80% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1836 | 36,861 | 52.59% | 33,229 | 47.41% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1832 | 43,449 | 54.49% | 36,292 | 45.51% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1828 | 31,468 | 44.46% | 39,308 | 55.54% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1824 | 0 | 0.00% | 6,356 | 27.23% | 16,982 | 72.77% |

## Voter Registration

Voter registration and party enrollment as of June 15, 2021 :
| Party | Party | Number of voters | Percentage |
| | Republican | 1,593,476 | 45.40% |
| | Democratic | 1,529,360 | 43.24% |
| | Other | 333,058 | 9.36% |
| Total | Total | 3,560,376 | 100% |
Elections in Kentucky :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1792
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate elections
1792
1793
1794
1798
1800
1804
1805 sp
1806
1806 sp
1811
1813
1814 sp
1815 sp
1816
1816 sp
1818
1819 sp
1820 sp
1823
1824 sp
1829
1831 sp
1835
1836
1841
1842
1842 sp
1843
1848
1849
1849 sp
1851
1851 sp
1854
1858
1859
1861 sp
1865
1867
1868 sp
1871
1872
1873 sp
1876
1879
1882
1884
1888
1890
1890 sp
1893 sp
1894
1897
1900
1902
1906
1908
1912
1914
1914 sp
1918
1920
1924
1926
1930
1930 sp
1932
1936
1938
1940 sp
1942
1944
1946 sp
1948
1950
1950 sp
1952 sp
1954
1956
1956 sp
1960
1962
1966
1968
1972
1974
1978
1980
1984
1986
1990
1992
1996
1998
2002
2004
2008
2010
2014
2016
2020
2022
2026
2028
U.S. House of Representatives elections
1792
1793
1795
1797
1799
1801
1803
1804
1806
1808
1810
5th sp
1812
1813
8th sp
1814
2nd sp
1815
2nd sp
1816
1st sp
1818
1820
1821
8th sp
1822
1824
1825
3rd sp
1826
5th sp
12th sp
1827
11th sp
1828
2nd sp
1829
1831
1833
1834
5th sp
1835
1837
1839
1841
1843
1845
1847
1849
1851
1853
1854
3rd sp
1855
1857
1859
1861
1862
2nd sp
1863
1865
1866
3rd sp
5th sp
6th sp
1867
3rd sp
1868
1870
3rd sp
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
6th sp
1892
1894
9th sp
10th sp
1896
1898
1899
7th sp
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1923
7th sp
1924
9th sp
1925
3rd sp
1926
1928
1929
3rd sp
1930
2nd sp
1932
1934
1935
4th sp
1936
1937
2nd sp
1938
1940
1942
1943
4th sp
1944
1946
1948
2nd sp
9th sp
1950
1951
6th sp
1952
2nd sp
1953
2nd sp
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1971
6th sp
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
2nd sp
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
6th sp
2006
2008
2010
2012
4th sp
2014
2016
1st sp
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026 :
State government
State elections
2007
2008
2010
2011
2012
2014
2015
2016
2018
2019
2020
2022
2023
2024
2026
Gubernatorial elections
1792
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1851
1855
1859
1863
1867
1868 sp
1871
1875
1879
1883
1887
1891
1895
1899
1900 sp
1903
1907
1911
1915
1919
1923
1927
1931
1935
1939
1943
1947
1951
1955
1959
1963
1967
1971
1975
1979
1983
1987
1991
1995
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
2027
Secretary of State elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
Attorney General elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
State Treasurer elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
State Auditor elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
Agriculture Commissioner elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
Senate elections
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
Special
House of Representatives elections
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
Special
Supreme Court elections
2008
2010
2012
2014
2015 sp
2016
2018
2019 sp
2020
2022
2024
2026 :
Ballot measures
2004Amendment 1
2022Amendment 2
2024Amendment 2 :
Lexington
Mayoral elections
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022 :
Louisville
Mayoral elections
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022 :
Government :
vte :

## Federal elections
### US House

Elections to the United States House of Representatives are held biennially.
* 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Kentucky
* 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Kentucky
* 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Kentucky
* 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Kentucky
* 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Kentucky

### US Senate

Elections to the United States Senate are held every six years.
* 2022 Senate election
* 2020 Senate election

## State elections
### Gubernatorial elections

* 2023 Kentucky gubernatorial election
* 2019 Kentucky gubernatorial election
* 2015 Kentucky gubernatorial election
* 2011 Kentucky gubernatorial election

### State legislative elections

* 2022 Kentucky House of Representatives election
* 2020 Kentucky House of Representatives election
* 2018 Kentucky House of Representatives election
* 2016 Kentucky House of Representatives election
* 2004 Kentucky House of Representatives election
* 2022 Kentucky Senate election
* 2020 Kentucky Senate election