Ballot measure · Kentucky · November 3, 2026

Constitutional Amendment 1

On Kentucky's statewide ballot on November 3, 2026.1,2,3

Research draftReferred by the legislatureConstitutional amendment
How it got there
Referred by the legislature
Kind of measure
Constitutional amendment
To pass
A majority of the votes on it
Researched
October 27, 2026

Research draft. We gathered this from official sources on October 27, 2026: election offices, state laws and court records, each linked to its source. Separate reviewers checked a random sample of 48 facts from the ballot-measure research against the cited sources and found no errors. The rest hasn't been reviewed fact by fact yet, so check the linked source before relying on anything here.

§1What your vote means

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

A yes vote

A yes vote would bar the Governor from granting pardons or commuting sentences from 60 days before each election for Governor until the fifth Tuesday after that election, while keeping the Governor's other powers to pardon, commute sentences, grant reprieves and remit fines.1,2 Section 2, proposed Section 77(1)

A no vote

A no vote would keep the Governor's power to grant pardons and commute sentences at any time, except in cases of impeachment, along with the existing powers to grant reprieves and remit fines.4 Ky. Const. § 77

§2How it got on the ballot

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Referred by the legislature. The legislature voted to put it on the ballot.1,2,3

Constitutional amendment. It would change the state constitution.1,2,3

The General Assembly proposed this amendment in Senate Bill 10 of the 2026 regular session (2026 Ky. Acts ch. 12); proposed constitutional amendments in Kentucky do not need the Governor's signature.1,5

It is on Kentucky's list of statewide measures for November 3, 2026.2,3,6,7,8 None of the official sources we read calls the list certified or final, so we don’t either. What we couldn't confirm about the list is in the notes on Kentucky's measures.

§3What it needs to pass

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

A majority of the votes on it. The amendment passes if a majority of the votes cast for and against it are for it.9 Ky. Const. § 256