By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
Secretary of State Michael Adams said Friday Kentuckians registered under “other” political affiliations are continuing to surge, and in fact have bested Republican and Democratic registrations combined for three straight months.
This, despite there being no regular elections scheduled in Kentucky during 2025.
“As the Democrats move further left and the Republicans move further right, more voters are registering as Independent,” said Adams, a Republican. “Kentucky has a large and growing political center. Candidates should take note and court this growing bloc of voters.”
According to the Secretary of State’s monthly report, in May, 4,157 voters were removed from the rolls, including 3,173 who were deceased, 440 who moved out of state, 402 convicted felons, 65 who voluntarily de-registered, 49 voters who were judged mentally incompetent, and 28 duplicate registrations.
Republican registration now constitutes 47 percent of the electorate, with 1,582,699 voters. Republican registration gained by 1,026, a .07 percent increase. Democratic registration accounts for 42 percent of the electorate, with 1,391,172 voters. Democratic registration fell by 838 in May, a .06 percent decrease. There are now 361,168 voters who are registered under other political affiliations, making up 11 percent of the electorate. Other party registration jumped by 1,352, a .38 percent increase.
In 2026, Kentucky voters will have plenty of races where they can voice their choice. Among them, the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Mitch McConnell of Louisville. The 83-year-old, who has held the seat since 1985 and is the longest serving U.S. Senator in Kentucky history, has announced he is not seeking an eighth term.
In addition, Kentucky’s six Congressional seats, all 100 in the Kentucky House and the even-numbered state Senate districts will also appear on the ballot next year.
Other dates to know: the last day to change your political party is December 31, 2025. The filing deadline for the 2026 primary is Jan. 9. The primary election is May 19, although there will be three days of early in-person voting on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday (May 14-16) prior to election day.