Months of unending political advertisements, campaign rallies, poll results, poll analyses, dinner-table debates, actual debates and so on end today with the 2014 general election in Kentucky.
Here's a quick rundown of what you need to know.
Actually Voting
In Kentucky, polls open at 6 a.m. and stay open until 6 p.m. If you don't know where to vote in Louisville, you can check your info with the Jefferson County Clerk's Office here, and you can see the ballot you'll be using here. Not sure you're registered? You can find that out from the Kentucky Secretary of State's office here.
If you're in Indiana, you can find out that information here.
What Are We Voting For?
Well, there's this not-such-a-big-deal Senate race—kidding, all eyes will be on Kentucky tonight for results from the race pitting Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, the secretary of state. More than just who represents Kentucky in the Senate is at stake. If he wins, McConnell is poised to become the Senate majority leader.
The latest polls showed McConnell with an edge in the race, but Kentucky will know for sure (probably) by late Tuesday evening. Here's our past coverage of the Senate race.
Control of Kentucky's state House is also in the balance. Democrats have the edge now, but that could be changed by the results of Tuesday's election. Freelance reporter Rae Hodge breaks down the stakes and the races to watch here.
In Louisville, Mayor Greg Fischer and U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth are up for reelection against Republicans Bob DeVore and Michael Macfarlane, respectively. Half of the Metro Council is also seeking reelection, plus several countywide officials.
Four Jefferson County Board of Education seats will be decided Tuesday, too. Here are candidate questionnaires with candidates in District 3, District 5 and District 6.
What's Turnout Look Like?
In Louisville, county officials expect maybe a 65 percent voter turnout, WFPL's Devin Katayama reported recently. Statewide, the Secretary of State's office is projecting a 49 percent turnout.
What's turnout looked like in previous elections? The Civic Data Alliance has posted a handy map for that.
What Problems Might Come Up?
WFPL's Rick Howlett reports that the state will, as usual, keep an eye out of voter fraud on Tuesday. Rick reports:
The Kentucky Attorney General’s election fraud hotline will be open throughout the day. Spokeswoman Allison Martin says the most common complaints involve vote-buying or campaigning too close to a polling place.
Kentucky’s electioneering law was struck down by a federal judge earlier this year, but while the case is under appeal, it’s still illegal in most cases to promote any candidates within 300 feet of a polling place. "The only change is that if you have private property that is across the street from a polling place, or near a polling place within that 300 foot boundary, you do not have to take your sign down," Martin says.
Martin says the election fraud hotline received 205 calls from more than 60 counties during this year’s primary election.
The hotline number is 1-800-328-VOTE.
How Do I Find Out Who Won?
The Kentucky Secretary of State's office posts results, but, of course, you can also stick with the news media to give you results, like WFPL.
For the Senate race, we'll have a reporter in Lexington with Grimes and another in Louisville with McConnell. We'll also have on-going coverage at WFPL.org throughout the evening (and night, and more Wednesday). NPR will also have coverage from a national perspective. You can find them online here.
Follow us on Twitter tonight @WFPLNews.
Copyright 2014 89.3 WFPL News Louisville
