LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky is now just one week away from the midterm elections, and already thousands of people have cast their votes.
According to Secretary of State Michael Adams, 46,000 people have already voted either by mail in, drop off or in person absentee voting.
Following a record breaking 2020 presidential election, Adams said those numbers are a good sign for turnout. Conventionally, midterms bring in fewer votes than presidential races.
Adams described the 2022 ballot as a "barbell" with attention-grabbing races at the top and bottom of the ticket.
This year, those are the Senate race between Rand Paul and Charles Booker, and the Congressional race between Morgan McGarvey and Stuart Ray.
Ending the ballot, Kentuckians will vote on Constitutional Amendments One and Two, about legislative sessions and abortion respectively.
WHAS11 spoke with lawyer, analyst and former Metro Council President David Tandy and Louisville GOP Executive Director Malcomb Haming to get their thoughts on the issues driving turnout.
Tandy echoed Adams' sentiment that top of the ticket races will be of high interest this year.
"People are starting to recognize on a federal level the importance of who controls the House and the Senate as it relates to whatever agenda you want to see coming out of a particular White House," Tandy said.
Haming said his role has been more focused on local races, and thinks the Louisville Metro mayoral race will also be a major driver for metro voters.
"A lot of these nationalized issues like abortion that come up, there really isn't a lot metro council and the mayor can do. But there's a lot those positions can do about crime and about the economy," he said.
Kentucky's proposed constitutional amendment related to abortion in the state, Amendment Two, has drawn much attention among candidates and advocacy groups.
Tandy expects how Kentucky voters decide the issue will teach us a lot about the electorate.
"When it comes to women's reproductive freedom whether or no the voters believe the Republicans have gone a step to far as is relates to retracting one's rights," Tandy said.
Haming said as a local party, they're more concerned about local races, and believes those will be deciding factors.
"From what we're hearing, while there is a continent that feels strongly about Amendment Two, what we believe is going to drive people to the polls is the economy and crime," he said.
Secretary Adams said among new registrants, many are independents and many of those people are younger, ages 18-29.
Tandy and Haming both expect those voters to be less predictable than a long time Democrat or Republican.
"Those who have identified as independent and truly kind of lean and think in that way, then I think there is an ample opportunity for the candidates to make their closing arguments," Tandy said.
"As a Louisville Republican party we're not out here to demonize Democrats, we want them to buy into our agenda we want our tent to be as large as possible. And I imagine there will be a lot of people who vote no on that amendment and come around to our candidates," Haming said.
No excuse early voting in the state begins Thursday, giving Kentuckians three additional days to cast a ballot in person before Tuesday.
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