Owensboro Ballot Measures, Explained Simply: November 3, 2026

Constitutional Amendment 1Are you in favor of limiting a Governor's ability to grant pardons or commute sentences by prohibiting him or her from granting pardons or commuting sentences during the time period beginning 60 days prior to the general election at which the Governor is elected, and ending when the Governor is sworn in for that term?

Today, the Governor can pardon a person or shorten a person's sentence, with some limits. This amendment would stop the Governor from doing that starting 60 days before a governor's election and continuing until after the newly elected Governor takes office. The Governor could still give reasons for decisions in writing, and those records would remain open for people to see.

If Yes wins

A yes vote means the Constitution would block the Governor from granting pardons or shortening sentences during the specified election-to-inauguration period.

If No wins

A no vote means the Constitution would stay as it is now. The Governor would keep the current power to grant pardons or shorten sentences during the period around a gubernatorial election.

• How it got on the ballot: The Kentucky General Assembly referred it to voters through Senate Bill 10.
• Cost: The official legislative record labels the fiscal impact statement a local mandate, but I did not find a published fiscal note with a dollar estimate for this amendment.

Explained from Kentucky Secretary of State — 2026 Constitutional Amendments, Daviess County 2026 General Election Sample Ballot, Kentucky Legislative Research Commission — Senate Bill 10. Listed by Kentucky Secretary of State — 2026 Constitutional Amendments; Daviess County sample ballot.