Kentucky Voters Begin Early Ballot Duty as Amendment Battle Intensifies
Early voting started Thursday for the November 3 election, where a proposed constitutional change on gubernatorial pardons and a heavily funded state judicial race draw primary attention.
By Jenna Mitchell ·
Kentucky residents began casting ballots early on Thursday morning for the general election scheduled for November 3. The voting period runs through Saturday, giving voters three days to participate before the final in-person event.
A proposed constitutional amendment occupies the center of the state-level contest. If voters approve the measure, they will restrict the governor's ability to grant clemency during a specific window. The amendment would bar any governor from issuing pardons or commutations in the 60 days preceding a gubernatorial election and for the 35 days following that election, up until the inauguration in early December.
State Senator Chris McDaniel has championed this proposal since 2020. He introduced the bill in response to the numerous controversial pardons issued by former Governor Matt Bevin just before he left office in 2019. McDaniel argues the change prevents abuse of power during the lame duck period.
"Last time around, we saw a tremendous abuse of the power to pardon," McDaniel said. "There were just so many tragic examples of how badly this power can be abused, and it needs to be reined in."
The amendment passed both chambers of the state legislature earlier this year. McDaniel contends that a governor who justifies a pardon should be able to defend that decision to voters. "If you feel that a pardon is justifiable, you ought to be able to stand in front of the voters and justify that pardon," he said. "That's why the power still exists for three years and nine months."
Opponents of the measure argue that voters should simply elect more trustworthy leaders rather than limit executive powers. Governor Andy Beshear criticized the amendment, stating that the fix lies in choosing better candidates. "The answer to this isn't changing the pardon power of every other governor that hasn't abused it this way, but not electing a guy like Matt Bevin ever again," Beshear said.
Defense attorneys have raised concerns about the impact on capital cases. Former Kentucky public advocate Damon Preston worries the amendment could complicate death penalty proceedings. He believes a lame duck governor can make necessary decisions without facing immediate political backlash. "There is a benefit to saying, 'Okay, this person who is no longer politically at risk can execute what he or she thinks is right. There are unpopular cases that need to be remedied,'" Preston said.
Voters will also select their state representatives and half of the state senators. Republicans are projected to maintain their supermajority in both chambers. Democrats are seeking gains in the Louisville and Lexington suburbs, a region that tends to favor them in favorable years. However, a significant spending imbalance is working against Democratic candidates.
Political action committees have poured money into supporting Republican incumbents. PACs spent more than $1 million on advertisements to help just three GOP incumbents in Louisville. Most of that funding protected longtime Senator Julie Raque Adams. Across all state legislative races, PACs spent at least $1.6 million on Republican ads. On the Democratic side, only one PAC spent less than $30,000 in support of its candidates.
In central Kentucky, voters will choose a judge for the Court of Appeals. The race between Will Moynahan and Lucy Van Meter has become highly competitive and partisan. Governor Beshear's PAC is funding advertisements to support Moynahan, turning the judicial contest into a major spending event.
