LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Tuesday is Louisville's last partisan primary after the state legislature passed a new law this year changing how local elections in Louisville work.
For races like Metro Council or mayor, no longer will you see a "D" or "R" next to the candidate's name on the ballot.
"We're doing fine without it," Louie Prestigiacomo said after hitting the polls. He votes every chance he gets, and thinks the Republican-dominated state legislature made the change, benefitting themselves.
"I'm afraid that it will be less representative of the people here in town than it is right now," he said.
Local state representatives who sponsored HB 388—the bill making these changes—said they want more competitive elections.
University of Louisville political science professor Laura Moyer believes the new law will benefit incumbents, but make it more difficult for candidates with less resources.
"Because no one knows who you are, so you have to spend a lot of time getting out there," she said.
One benefit she sees is non-traditional candidates having more authenticity.
"They don't have to pretend to be a Democrat," she explained. "Or in some cases, pretend to be a Republican."
As a grad student in Athens, Georgia, she saw similar lawmaking from state Republicans.
"It had a less pronounced partisan advantage than I think the Republicans had hoped for," she recalled.
Under the new system, the top-two vote earners in a local race would advance to the November election, meaning two members of the same party could face each other.
The law does not change how Kentuckians vote in national or state races, which still have closed primaries for each party.
In non-partisan local races, voters outside the two major parties could participate.
"It may seem like small potatoes, it's actually I think one of the more important voting decisions people will get to make," Moyer said.
The law takes effect in 2025, with the next round of local races happening in 2026.
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