Early voting begins today. Here’s what else to know about the 2024 Primary Election.

Early voting kicks off today in the primary races for Owensboro’s next Mayor and City Commissioners as well as the U.S. President, while Primary Election Day will be on May 21. Here’s what else to know, from where and when to vote to what the ballot will look like.

Sample ballot

A sample ballot for the Primary Election can be found here.

However, Kentucky is a closed primary state, meaning that for primary elections registered Republicans can only see and vote for Republican candidates and vice versa for Democrats. The sample ballot includes candidates for both parties.

Additionally, with the only local races being for positions in the City of Owensboro, residents living outside city limits will not vote for Mayor or City Commissioner. Similarly, the Yelvington wet/dry vote will only be on ballots for Yelvington residents.

Candidates for local races

The Primary will narrow the Mayoral race from five candidates to two. Meanwhile, the top 8 vote-getters in the City Commission race will move on to the General Election. All candidates participated in the Owensboro Times Town Hall last week. You can watch the Mayoral candidate session here and the City Commission candidate session here.

The ballot order for the Mayoral race is as follows (click each name for the OT bio):

1. Sharon Castle
2. Ron Payne
3. Pamela L. Smith-Wright
4. Tom Watson
5. Titus Willis

The ballot order for the City Commission race is as follows (click each name for the OT bio):

1. Sharon NeSmith
2. Jeff Sanford
3. Bob Glenn
4. Tyler Goad
5. Reggie Helm
6. Robert Morris
7. Mark Castlen
8. Curtis Maglinger
9. Rafe Buckner

Early voting

Early Voting will only take place at the Owensboro Sportscenter on May 16-18 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The votes will not be tabulated until polls close on Election Day.

Primary Election Voting Centers

On Election Day, May 21, voters are able to vote at any of the below 14 polling locations. As in recent years, precincts are no longer used for voting in Daviess County. Voting centers will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

• Owensboro Sportscenter — 1215 Hickman Avenue, Owensboro
• H.L. Neblett Community Center – Gym — 801 W 5th Street, Owensboro
• Owensboro Christian Church – Entrance E — 2818 New Hartford Road, Owensboro
• Third Baptist Church – Gym — 527 Allen Street, Owensboro
• Daviess County Middle School – Cafeteria — 3901 Fairview Drive, Owensboro
• Audubon Elementary School – Gym — 300 Worthington Road, Owensboro
• Legacy Church (Former Malco Theater) — 5333 Frederica Street, Owensboro
• Yellow Creek Baptist Church – Gym — 5741 Highway 144, Thruston
• St. Martin’s Parish Hall — 5856 Highway 81, Rome
• Masonville Baptist Church — 6601 US 231, Masonville
• St. Mary Magdalene Parish Hall — 7232 Highway 56, Sorgho
• Whitesville Baptist Church – Fellowship Hall — 10167 Highway 54, Whitesville
• Mary Carrico Catholic School – Gym —9546 Highway 144, Knottsville
• St. Anthony Parish Hall — 261 Saint Anthony Road, Utica