KENTUCKY — The polls are beginning to close around the state. Kentucky's polls opened at 6 a.m. local time, following weeks of early in-person and absentee voting across the state. Residents can cast their votes until the state's polls closed at 6 p.m. local time.

While all eyes are on the the presidential race, Kentucky is also deciding on a U.S. senator, several U.S. representatives, state senators, state representatives, state Supreme Court Justices, local judges, school board members, and members of local governments.

It's going to be a long day, and it's unclear if we'll know all of the results by tonight. No matter what happens, Spectrum News 1 is bringing you the latest election news in the Bluegrass and beyond. Follow along with us for updates, election results, and more:

5:57 pm - Who voted in Kentucky?

As the wait for results across Kentucky begins, we’re able to take a look at who casted a ballot in this year’s unprecedented election thanks to AP Votecast, a robust survey of more than 3,500 Kentuckians conducted over the past week and ending as polls closed today. 

The survey found that 53% of those who voted in Kentucky today were women, which is in line with the numbers for 2016, when there was a woman on the presidential ballot. More than two-thirds, or 64%, were over 45 and a full 27% were over 65. Youth turnout, if we define youth as anyone under 24, accounted for just 6% of the electorate. That’s down from 2016, when nearly 8% of those who voted in KY were under 24. 

Among those who voted, it’s clear that they were eager to have their say in this race. Enthusiasm was very high with 93% of voters saying they were either extremely or very interested in the election. 

Lastly, we have a little on the method these folks used to vote. Nearly half, or 44% said they cast their ballot early and in person, with 32% voting by mail and 24% voting today. 

5:25 pm - From AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of about 127,000 voters and nonvoters — including 2,834 voters and 611 nonvoters in Kentucky”, the coronavirus pandemic was top of mind for many voters in Kentucky. Thirty-nine percent said it is the most important issue facing the country today.

Voters also considered the economy a major issue, with 32% saying it ranked at the top.

Nine percent named health care, 5% named racism and 5% named abortion.  Adam K. Raymond is following VoteCast for Spectrum News 1 this evening and will have continuous updates throughout the night.

Here are the key races to watch for today in Kentucky:

President of the United States

Former Vice President Joe Biden won Kentucky’s Democratic primary on June 23 with 365,284 votes and President Donald Trump won the Republican primary with 371,723 votes. In the past 10 presidential elections, the Republican candidate has won Kentucky eight times and the Democratic candidate has won the state two times. In those elections, Kentucky has voted for the eventual winner eight times. A Democratic candidate has not won the state since Bill Clinton in 1996.

Kentucky has eight votes in the Electoral College.

President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence easily defeated Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and her running mate Tim Kaine in the 2016 General Election, with Trump garnering 62.5 percent of the vote in the Bluegrass State. 

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney won Kentucky decisively in 2012 over President Obama. Nearly every poll shows President Trump winning Kentucky in 2020, with some polls showing Trump winning by as few as nine percentage points and others showing Trump winning Kentucky by as many as 20 percentage points.

United States Senate 

Democrat Amy McGrath is challenging incumbent Mitch McConnell for his seat in the United States Senate. McConnell, a Republican from Louisville, was first elected to the Senate in 1984 and has been majority leader since 2015. McConnell defeated Democratic challengers Alison Lundergan Grimes in 2014 and Bruce Lunsford in 2008. 

McConnell's announcement that the Senate will vote in 2020 to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death on Sept. 18 is an issue in the race, as is coal and healthcare. As of July, McGrath had raised more than any other U.S. Senate candidate during the 2020 election cycle with $47 million and McConnell raised the third-highest amount at $38 million, according to the Federal Election Commission. 

The outcome of this race will affect partisan control of the U.S. Senate. Thirty-five of 100 seats are up for election, including two special elections. As of October 2020, Republicans have a 53-45 majority over Democrats in the Senate. Independents who caucus with the Democrats have the two remaining seats. Republicans face greater partisan risk in the election. They are defending 23 seats while Democrats are defending 12. Both parties have two incumbents representing states the opposite party’s presidential nominee won in 2016.

A Data for Progress poll from Sept. 19 found McConnell with 46 percent support to McGrath’s 39 percent. The poll had a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percentage points. McGrath narrowly defeated Charles Booker in the 2020 Democratic Primary. 

McConnell said his record in the Senate included confirming two Supreme Court justices and leading on legislation that lowered taxes and helped Kentucky farmers. He said he garnered bipartisan support to pass COVID-19 relief legislation.

McConnell said McGrath is “far-left” and “extreme,” highlighting statements she made in support of impeaching Trump, in opposition to a border wall, and in support of abortion access.

McGrath, who has never held a political office, emphasized her background as a Marine fighter pilot, saying her leadership and service would transfer to representing the people of Kentucky in the Senate.

McGrath claims McConnell stood up for special interests instead of Kentuckians. She said he received millions in donations from Wall Street and the banking industry and criticized his opposition to the Affordable Care Act and votes against raising the minimum wage, among other positions.

United States House of Representatives, District 6

Kentucky’s Sixth Congressional District is based in central Kentucky. The cities of Lexington, including its suburbs, Richmond, and Frankfort, as well as Anderson, Bath, Bourbon, Clark, Estill, Fayette, Fleming, Franklin, Madison, Menifee, Montgomery, Nicholas, Powell, Robertson, Scott, Wolfe, and Woodford counties, and portions of Harrison and Jessamine counties, comprise the district.

District 6 has been represented by Republican Andy Barr since 2012. He is being challenged by Democrat Josh Hicks, a Lexington attorney. An Oct. 6 debate between Barr and Hicks turned fiery, as the men clashed over the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic and accused each other of distorting their records. 

President Trump carried Kentucky’s District 6 by 15 points in 2016, and Barr narrowly defeated McGrath for the seat in 2018, winning by three points. Politico predicts Barr will win re-election since five of Kentucky’s six congressional districts voted for Republicans in the 2018 midterm elections. 

State Senate Races

Nineteen of Kentucky’s 38 state senate seats are up for election in 2020. The outcomes of the 2020 election cycle in Kentucky stand to influence the state’s redistricting process following the 2020 Census. In Kentucky, the state legislature is responsible for drafting both congressional and state legislative district plans. District plans are subject to a gubernatorial veto.

Republicans currently control the Kentucky Senate, holding all but 10 seats. One incumbent – Republican Rep. Albert Robinson – was defeated in the June 23 Primary Election, making 2020 the first election since 2014 an incumbent senator was defeated in a primary.

For more on Kentucky's election visit our Decision 2020 section.