145914665(hermosawave)Louisville residents will soon decide who their next mayor will be and, for the first time since merger, a Republican will not be on the ballot.This year marks the first round of mayoral and Metro Council elections under a state mandate that those offices be officially nonparti san. That means candidates will not have a party affiliation next to their names on the ballot. The mandate doesn’t stop the candidates from identifying with a party or putting other sorts of political labels on themselves.Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg ran for office four years ago as a Democrat, defeating Republican Bill Dieruf in the General Election. His opponent this time around, Shameka Parrish-Wright, is a progressive Metro Council member who’s been endorsed by the local Democratic Socialists of America chapter. Conservative veteran Jeff Yocum is running as a write-in candidate after dropping out of the primary.What does this move to nonpartisan local elections actually do? And what does it mean for Louisville voters? Here are some key things to know:1. Party affiliation will be absentThe most visible change to ballots will be the lack of party identification. For mayor and Metro Council races, there will be no “REP” or “DEM” next to the candidates’ names like in years past.2. Voters need to do their researchWithout a party signifier, voters will not be able to rely on that signal to infer what candidates believe or their values. Voters will need to research candidates to understand the person and the platform behind the name.3. Be aware when straight-ticket votingKentucky is one of a handful of states that allows for straight-ticket voting. The first section on ballots will ask voters if they’d like to select all Republican, Democratic or Kentucky Party candidates.It’s important to know that, with the shift to nonpartisan local elections, simply ticking off a party for straight-ticket voting will not register a vote for Louisville mayor or Metro Council. Voters who use that option will still need to bubble in their picks for local races, alongside school board and judicial races and constitutional amendments.Election Day in Louisville is Nov. 3. Voters can check out LPM News’ 2026 General Election Voter Guide to learn more about the specific candidates on their ballot.Early, in-person voting runs Oct. 29 through Oct. 31. ...read more read less