Kentucky
Why did Kentucky get called for Trump so fast? How KY counts its votes
Early voting in Kentucky: Thousands vote early ahead of 2024 election
More than 225,000 Kentuckians voted early on Oct. 31 for 2024 election, according to Michael Adams, Kentucky’s Secretary of State.
Kentucky was one of the first states to call the presidential race in 2024, thanks in part to election laws that speed up the vote-counting process, Secretary of State’s Office spokesperson Michon Lindstrom said.
Kentucky law allows county clerks to begin processing absentee ballots before polls close, unlike some states, Lindstrom said, which gives election workers a head start on the work for when they can start officially counting votes. Processing of mail-in ballots can begin up to 14 days before an election and must begin by 8 a.m. on election day, according to Kentucky law.
The procedure for processing mail-in ballots can vary slightly from state to state, according to USA TODAY, but it typically prepares the ballot to be counted by verifying the voter’s information and eligibility on the mail ballot envelope, opening the envelope and removing the ballot.
Kentucky polls also close at 6 p.m. local time, making it and Indiana the first two states in the country to close polls, USA TODAY reported.
Winning in Kentucky has been a fairly easy feat for former President Donald Trump in his previous two campaigns, claiming the state by comfortable margins in both elections. He garnered 62.5% of Kentuckians’ votes in 2016 and 62.1% in 2020. Trump was projected to repeat his dominance in Kentucky in 2024.
Kentucky became the first state the Associated Press called in the 2020 General Election when the organization declared Trump the winner around 7 p.m., roughly an hour after polls closed. A similar pattern unfolded in 2016, when Kentucky was among the first three states called by Associated Press.
The commonwealth’s two largest counties, Jefferson and Fayette, are the only two locales where Democratic nominees outstripped their Republican opponent in 2016 and 2020. In Jefferson County, 59.1% of votes went to then-candidate Joe Biden in 2020. In 2016, 54.1% of votes in the county went to former Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
This story may update.
Kentucky
Kentucky is poised to land either Donnie Freeman or Sebastian Rancik this weekend, per report
Jones posted on Twitter that “Kentucky will have (absent a major change) either Freeman or Rancik by tomorrow,” while also noting the Wildcats still need to add another shooter and another big to round out the roster.
One of the top targets is Donnie Freeman, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound sophomore forward transferring from Syracuse. Freeman arrived in Lexington on Tuesday night and began his visit on Wednesday before leaving without a commitment. While there was concern he could land at UConn, that visit has since been canceled, leaving Kentucky and St. John’s as the top teams.
Freeman averaged 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game last season, while adding nearly a block and a steal per contest. He shot 47.4% from the field but 30.2% from 3-point range across 23 games.
The other option is Sebastian Rancik, a 6-foot-11, 220-pound sophomore forward transferring from Colorado. Rancik visited Kentucky starting Wednesday through Thursday and brings a versatile skill set, averaging 12.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game while shooting 33.1% from 3.
Either Freeman or Rancik would provide a significant boost at the power forward position for head coach Mark Pope. Kentucky has already added guards Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins in the portal.
Kentucky
Kentucky football spring game offers early look at Will Stein’s Cats
Kentucky football coach Will Stein reflects on new position
Will Stein was officially introduced to fans and media as the head coach for the Kentucky Wildcats, replacing Mark Stoops.
LEXINGTON — Kentucky football had its first spring game under new coach Will Stein at Kroger Field on Saturday.
The offense, in blue jerseys, had its moments. So too the defense, donning white uniforms.
Ultimately, the blue squad earned a 23-18 victory in a game called just after noon because of inclement weather.
Stein admitted he “got emotional” as he charged onto the field prior to kickoff.
“I know it wasn’t a real game, but when I ran on the field, I definitely — man, I felt it,” he said. “It was like a wave running over me. And very, very, just cool.”
While it doesn’t count in the standings, Stein walked away pleased.
“I think we got a lot of really good work,” he said. “That’s the goal of spring is to improve with fundamentals and technique, learn how to practice, learn what winning edges that we need throughout spring to go into summer and fall and prepare the team for play. And we came out of the scrimmage clean. There (were) no injuries, which to me, that’s the biggest win of the day. I could (not) care less about the score.
“If we come out clean, that’s good. The Wildcats won.”
New starting QB Kenny Minchey looked about as expected, with sharp passes evened out by moments of inconsistency. Martels Carter Jr., a defensive back who is lining up at running back this spring, scored a touchdown and had several nice runs.
And the defense forced multiple three-and-outs and also picked off one Minchey pass on a two-point conversion.
This story will be updated.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
Kentucky
Kentucky has reportedly moved on from top-10 transfer Paulius Murauskas

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