KENTUCKY — Election season is upon us and on this week's 'In Focus Kentucky' program we’re sharing some reminders with you on a wide variety of election items, including how you can make voting plans, getting informed about the candidates—and getting the word out to make your voice heard on the issues that matter to you. 

Kentucky's office of the secretary of the state, along with the state board of elections and county clerks, has been spending months preparing for the Tuesday, May 21 primary.

"Well, I'll tell you this, we're not putting out an official project yet, because we want more information. But I am prepared to dial back my optimism about what I thought we would see. I was thinking we'd have 20-25% turnout...I think it's going to be more like 10-15%. I think it's going to be more like what we saw in 2023 and 2022 even though we had lively races for governor, U.S. Senate and so forth. And those cycles, primary turnout was low. And that's partly because we disenfranchise independents, and don't let them vote in our primaries. And they're the fastest growing voter block in Kentucky. So that's frustrating. I do hope that as the state gets redder, and the primaries matter more, because one party has a greater likelihood of winning in November and is less competitive in most races, that will boost primary turnout, because that's when when we get to vet people who are running for office," explains Secretary of State Michael Adams, R-Ky.

To locate the exact time and location of early voting in your county, please visit GoVote.ky.gov. All registered Kentucky voters who have not requested a mail-in absentee ballot can vote early without an excuse. State law calls this a “no-excuse in-person absentee ballot.”

In-Person No-Excuse Absentee voting across Kentucky begins May 16, 17 & 18 of this week for at least eight hours between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. local time each day, with the county board of elections choosing the exact times.

During this segment, Secretary Adams also comments on legislative items that his office considered wins and losses from the Kentucky General Assembly session.

You can watch the full In Focus Kentucky segment in the player above.