On Tuesday, November 3, Pendleton County votes. This page is the place to prepare: what's on the ballot, when and how to vote, and plain-language pages on the parts that are easy to skim past.

Ace the Midterms is non-partisan but not neutral. It won't tell you whom to vote for. It does take a side on whether every voter can find, read and understand their ballot before they walk in, and on whether a ballot is a set of choices or a set of foregone conclusions. Some races here are genuinely contested; many are not. Knowing which is which is part of acing it.

The page is built for Pendleton County first, because that's home. Most of it works anywhere in Kentucky, and the last section shows how to make one for your own county.

Key Dates

Monday, October 5
Last day to register or update your registration for the general election, by 4 p.m., at govote.ky.gov or the County Clerk's office. Mailed forms must be postmarked by October 5. You can register at 17 if you'll be 18 by November 3.
Tuesday, October 20
by 11:59 p.m.
Last day to request a mail-in absentee ballot, at govote.ky.gov. In Kentucky, voting by mail requires a qualifying reason, such as illness, disability, or being away from the county on Election Day; the request form lists them all. Everyone else can vote early in person, October 29-31.
October 21–23 and 26–28
Excused in-person absentee voting, for voters who qualify. Check eligibility with the Clerk.
October 29–31
Thursday to Saturday
Early in-person voting. No excuse needed.
Tuesday, November 3
6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Election Day. Mail-in ballots must be received by 6 p.m.; in the last week, a drop box is the safest route.

Dates from the Kentucky State Board of Elections, as of September 28, 2026.

Where to Vote

Early voting, October 29–31: vote at any of the county's voting centers, whatever your precinct.

Election Day, November 3: vote at the school assigned to your precinct.

Pendleton County High School
Gardnersville, Pleasant Ridge, Short Creek, Floyd Garage
Northern Elementary
Butler, Flour Creek, Northern Pendleton
Southern Elementary
Kincaid Building, Courthouse, Pendleton Library, Blanket Creek, Oakland

Precinct names still carry the churches, fire house and garage where people once voted, so the name isn't a clue to where you go now. Not sure of your precinct? The Voter Information Center shows it, with your polling place. Source: Pendleton County Clerk's office.

What's on Your Ballot

Read the Pendleton County sample ballot as text → Until the end of September, Kentucky’s official sample ballots were published as images that screen readers couldn’t read. After a request to the State Board of Elections, the state’s files were fixed, and Pendleton’s now reads aloud (what changed). This text version is still the easiest to search and skim: every race, every candidate, the full text of Amendment 1, and a lookup table of which local races appear in which precinct. It was checked against the County Clerk’s office.

The short version: every Pendleton voter will see races for U.S. Senate, U.S. House (4th District), a district judge seat, county offices, and Constitutional Amendment 1. Depending on your precinct, you'll also see a magistrate and constable race, and possibly a school board seat or a city race in Butler or Falmouth.

Most county races have a single candidate on the ballot. The real choices this year are the federal races, the State Senate race in the 24th District, the district judge race, both mayoral races, both city councils, and Amendment 1.

A note on straight-party voting. A straight-party mark covers only the partisan races. It does not cover the judicial races, the school board, the city races, or Amendment 1. Those need their own marks, and they're where a surprising share of this year's actual choosing happens.

Possibility Pages

Short pieces on the parts of the ballot worth slowing down for. New ones are added as they're ready.

What to Bring to the Polls
One photo ID is all you need to vote in Kentucky. But the backup plan changed this year, and some guides haven’t caught up. Here’s what counts, what doesn’t, and what to do if you’re stuck.
Creative RecessKP Williams
Who Does What: The Offices on Your Ballot
The Judge/Executive isn’t a judge, and the sheriff collects your taxes. A plain guide to what each office on Pendleton County’s ballot actually does.
Creative RecessKP Williams
A Ballot You Can’t Read
Kentucky’s sample ballots were pictures of text that screen readers couldn’t read. One letter to the State Board of Elections, and two days later, they read aloud. What changed, and how to check your county’s.
Creative RecessKP Williams
One Name, One Box: Reading an Uncontested Ballot
Most of Pendleton County’s races have one name on the ballot. What that means, what your options are, and where the choosing actually happens.
Creative RecessKP Williams
How a Write-In Vote Counts in Kentucky
Kentucky’s write-in line is a real choice, but only if three things line up. What makes a write-in vote count, and the one mistake that voids it.
Creative RecessKP Williams
Amendment 1: The Pardon Question
Should a governor’s pardon power pause around each election for governor? What a Yes or a No would change, and the case on each side.
Creative RecessKP Williams

Official Tools

Register, update your registration, or request a mail-in ballot
govote.ky.gov
Look up your precinct and districts
Voter Information Center
Enter your name and date of birth.
See the official sample ballot for any county
Secretary of State sample ballots
Find dates, drop boxes, and polling places
State Board of Elections
Ask about anything local
Pendleton County Clerk's office, Falmouth

Do this in Your County

Nothing here needs special access. Every county's sample ballot is posted on the Secretary of State's site, and turning it into something a neighbor can read takes an afternoon:

  1. Download your county's sample ballot from the Secretary of State.
  2. Type it out as plain text: every race, every name, every ballot question in full.
  3. Add a table showing which local races appear in which precincts.
  4. Send anything unclear to your County Clerk. They know the answers and are usually glad to be asked.
  5. Share it wherever your neighbors actually look: the library, a church bulletin, the county Facebook groups.

If you make one, tell me. I'd like to link it here.

How this Page Stays Current

This hub is updated as pieces are finished and as official information changes. Corrections are welcome and will be noted with a date.

Updated October 2, 2026: the sample ballot note now reflects the State Board’s fix, and Key Dates adds the 4 p.m. registration deadline and the reason requirement for mail-in voting.

Last updated: October 2, 2026.

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