Local election officials across Northern Kentucky say voter turnout in Tuesday’s primary election is on pace to far exceed participation levels from the state’s 2024 primary, fueled largely by a closely watched Republican U.S. House race.
County clerks in Boone and Campbell counties told The Enquirer they expect turnout to jump sharply compared with two years ago, citing strong early voting numbers and crowded polling locations throughout the region.
“We’re anticipating a significantly higher amount of voter turnout, but these are all “guesstimates” at this point,” Boone County Clerk Justin Crigler said May 19 morning.
Statewide, 12.7% of Kentucky’s more than 3.5 million registered voters cast ballots in the 2024 primary, according to state data. Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams has projected turnout could climb to roughly 20% this year, or an increase of more than 50%.
The spike in interest is being driven in large part by the Republican primary battle between longtime U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie and former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein.
Gallrein entered the race after being recruited by President Donald Trump, while Massie has frequently broken with the president despite representing Kentucky in Congress for years.
Campbell county sees early voting jump
In Campbell County, Clerk Jim Luersen said turnout could end up 50% or higher than the county’s 2024 primary participation rate.
About 2,200 voters, or 3.2% of registered voters, had already cast ballots during Kentucky’s three-day early voting period before polls opened Tuesday morning, Luersen said. By comparison, early voting accounted for just 1.4% of registered voters during the 2024 primary.
Overall turnout in Campbell County reached 10.4% in 2024, according to the Kentucky Board of Elections. Luersen said he expects turnout this year to land somewhere between 15% and 20%.
Boone County officials report heavy early voting
Boone County’s Crigler said early voting activity appeared to be “way up” from 2024, estimating turnout during the early voting period was “probably three times” higher than the last primary cycle.
More than 14,200 Boone County voters participated in the 2024 primary election, representing 12.6% of registered voters, according to state election figures.
This year, Crigler said turnout could reach as high as 18,000 voters by the close of polls at 6 p.m.
Crowded polling places in Kenton County
In Kenton County, Northern Kentucky’s most populous county, parking lots at several polling locations were packed Tuesday morning as voters headed to the polls, but officials there stopped short of offering turnout projections.
A spokeswoman for Gabrielle Summe, chair of the Kenton County Board of Elections, said Tuesday morning that Summe was unavailable for comment and could not provide estimates.
During the 2024 primary election, 13,861 Kenton County voters, or 9.7% of registered voters, cast ballots, according to state records.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: NKY primary election turnout surges as Massie race draws voters
Reporting by Randy Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
