Gov. Andy Beshear is seeking re-election in a closely watched off-year election.
November 7, 2023, 10:54 am
On Tuesday, voters in Kentucky go to the polls to cast their ballots in the elections for governor and lieutenant governor.
Polls open at six in the morning and close at six in the evening, local time. Everyone in line by 6pm is allowed to vote. The state requires voters to provide some form of identification, such as a driver’s license, Social Security card, or any form of identification that contains a photo and signature.
A Kentucky voter has the right to vote absentee in an election if he or she cannot get to the polls on Election Day, although the absentee ballot must be received by Election Day.
Governor Andy Beshear speaks during the gubernatorial debate at Northern Kentucky University, in Highland Heights, Kentucky, on October 16, 2023.
Joe Simon/NKY Link via AP, POOL
The importance of the state
Since the 1950s, Kentucky has been reliably Republican. In the 2020 elections, former President Donald Trump won Kentucky by a margin of 26% over current President Joe Biden. When it comes to the 2023 gubernatorial race, Republicans are seeking to reverse the national theme in the deep red state and reclaim the governor’s mansion.
Incumbent Democratic Governor Andy Beshear and Republican Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron are running for governor of Kentucky. Beshear defeated incumbents Matt Bevin and John Hicks in the 2019 general election for governor by a very narrow margin, with Beshear receiving 49% of the vote and Bevin receiving 48.8% of the vote.
Issues like abortion access are at the forefront of voters’ minds this election. Both Beshear, who favors abortion access, and Cameron, who opposes it, accused each other of taking extreme positions on abortion policy during the gubernatorial debate at Northern Kentucky University on October 16.
All eyes will be on this race because it will test whether or not Bashir can hang in a deep red state for a second general election for governor of Kentucky.
This article originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
