Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes reminds eligible Kentuckians that the deadline to register to vote in the upcoming May 20 Primary Election is Monday, April 21.
County clerks’ offices throughout Kentucky will accept voter registration cards until the close of business on that date. Mail-in voter registration applications must be postmarked by April 21.
Grimes also reminds Kentuckians of several important voting laws:
• To be eligible to vote, you must:
o Be a U.S. citizen,
o Be a Kentucky resident for at least 28 days before Election day,
o Be at least 18 years old by the date of the next general election,
o Not be a convicted felon, or if convicted of a felony offense, must have obtained a restoration of civil rights,
o Not have been adjudged “mentally incompetent,” and
o Not claim the right to vote anywhere outside Kentucky.
• Minors who are 17 years old but will be 18 years old on or before the General Election on November 4, 2014, are eligible to register and vote in the upcoming Primary; however, they are not eligible to vote in special elections until they are 18 years old.
• Voters who have recently moved need to update their voter registration information by no later than April 21, 2014. Pursuant to KRS 116.025(6), individuals who move from one county to another county while the voter registration books are open and fail to update their registration information before the voter registration books close are not permitted to vote in the Primary.
• Changes in party affiliation for the 2014 Primary Election were due by December 31, 2013. Voters who changed their party affiliation after that date are not eligible to vote in partisan races in the Primary, although they may vote on nonpartisan races on the May Primary ballot. Voters who changed their party affiliation after December 31, 2013, may still vote for their candidate(s) of choice in the November General Election.
• Under the Secretary of State’s recently established Address Confidentiality Program, victims of domestic violence and sexual assault can register and update their registration while keeping their names and addresses out of publicly available voter records.
“The future of Kentucky and our nation depend on all eligible voters participating in the process,” said Grimes. “Registering to vote is the first step in being a part of the 2014 elections, and I hope that as many Kentuckians as are able will make their voices heard.”
You can check your current registration status on the Voter Information Center,https://cdcbp.ky.gov/VICWeb/index.jsp. To obtain a registration card or for more information about registering to vote, visit www.elect.ky.gov or contact your county clerk or the State Board of Elections at (502) 573-7100. To learn more about the Address Confidentiality Program, visit www.sos.ky.gov.
