AN ACT relating to elections.

Amend KRS 116.055 to permit a registered independent to vote in the primary of 1 party for each primary opened by that party; require that an independent be registered as an independent on December 31 immediately preceding the primary; amend KRS 117.125 to require that electronic voting machines be reprogrammed to allow a registered independent to vote for a party's candidates in a primary; amend KRS 118.125 to prohibit a primary candidate from being a registered independent; EFFECTIVE December 1, 2027.

Introduced: March 4, 2026

Last action: March 11, 2026

To Elections, Const. Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs (H)

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This bill would allow registered independent voters to participate in a party's primary election, as long as they were registered as an independent by December 31 of the year before the primary. It also requires that voting machines be updated to make this possible, and it prohibits anyone registered as an independent from running as a candidate in a primary. The changes would take effect December 1, 2027. Who it may affect: registered independent voters and individuals considering running in a primary election.

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