Lexington, Kentucky Public Records

Kentucky's bond and bail process allows detainees to secure release while awaiting court appearances, and those seeking information about posting bail can contact the detention center directly or consult with legal counsel.

While Kentucky doesn't require voter ID to register, voters must provide their Kentucky driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. First-time voters who registered by mail may need to show ID when casting their ballot. The city operates under a mayor-council government structure as part of the Urban County Government. Municipal elections for mayor and the 15-member Urban County Council take place in odd-numbered years, most recently in 2022 with the next scheduled for 2026. The mayor serves a four-year term, while council members represent 12 districts plus three at-large seats. Local ballot measures, charter amendments, and board appointments may also appear on municipal election ballots. To locate their assigned polling place, residents can use the Kentucky State Board of Elections polling place locator at elect.ky.gov/resources/Pages/Polling-Locations.aspx or call the Fayette County Clerk's Elections Division. The county operates approximately 80 precincts throughout the urban area. Public election records in Kentucky include voter registration lists available to campaigns and political organizations under KRS 117.085, campaign finance reports filed with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance at kref.ky.gov, candidate filings and petitions, and official precinct-level results. The County Clerk publishes unofficial results on election night, with certified results following within days. During the November 2024 presidential election, Fayette County saw approximately 145,000-150,000 voters participate, representing roughly 65-68% turnout of registered voters. The county has trended more Democratic in recent presidential cycles compared to surrounding rural Kentucky counties. For the November 3, 2026 general election, Lexington and Fayette County voters will decide several significant races: Kentucky does not have a U.S. Senate seat up in 2026 (Senators McConnell and Paul are not up until 2026 and 2028 respectively, correction: voters will decide on statewide constitutional offices as Kentucky holds gubernatorial elections in odd years, so 2026 will feature U.S. House races), U.S. Representative for Kentucky's 6th Congressional District (currently represented by Andy Barr), Kentucky State Senate and House of Representatives seats for districts covering Fayette County, Fayette County constitutional offices including County Clerk, Sheriff positions (though merged government affects this), and potentially Urban County Council seats if the cycle aligns. Local school board and judicial retention or circuit court clerk races may also appear. Kentucky offers absentee voting for voters who meet specific criteria under KRS 117.085: those 65 or older, voters with disabilities, those who will be absent from the county on election day, members of the military, students attending school outside the county, and those whose employment hours prevent voting. Absentee ballot applications are available at the Fayette County Clerk's office or online at elect.ky.gov, and must be requested by the Tuesday before the election for in-person requests or seven days before for mail requests. Kentucky also offers early in-person voting beginning the Thursday before the election through the Saturday before election day at the Fayette County Clerk's office. Mail-in absentee ballots must be postmarked by election day and received within three days after to be counted.