Kentucky voters set to decide on amendment limiting governor's pardon power in November

The Kentucky State Legislature voted on April 1 to send a constitutional amendment to voters in November that would prohibit the governor from issuing a pardon or commuting a sentence 60 days before the gubernatorial election and up to the fifth Tuesday succeeding the election. The amendment would also change the language of the section to gender-neutral terms. Currently, the only limitation to the governor’s pardon power is in the case of impeachment.

A 60% vote is required during one legislative session for the Kentucky State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. The amendment was introduced as Senate Bill 10 (SB 10) on Jan. 8. It passed in the Senate by a vote of 36-0 on Jan. 20. The House passed an amended version on April 1 by a vote of 82-12. The Senate concurred on the same day by a vote of 36-1.

The amendment was sponsored by Sen. Chris McDaniel (R-23). Following the passage of the amendment, Sen. McDaniel said, “My message to Kentucky voters is simple: If you were outraged by the heinous late-hour pardons of the past, take those motivations to the ballot box. Let’s reform our state constitution to better respect the will of Kentucky’s justice system.”

According to the National Governors Association, every state authorizes the Governor or a Board of Pardons to grant clemency in some form. Authority and procedures vary by state.



https://news.ballotpedia.org/2026/04/02/kentucky-voters-set-to-decide-on-amendment-limiting-governors-pardon-power-in-november/