More Kentuckians than ever will appear on voter rolls in the Primary Election on May 20. Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes has announced that the total number of registered voters – 3,105,349 – beats the previous record of 3,037,153, set during the 2012 General Election. The difference is an increase of more than 68,000 voters, or 2.2%, over 18 months.
I am excited to see that more and more Kentuckians are answering the call to register to vote. I hope the increase in registration translates to greater turnout for the May 20 Primary Election,” said Grimes, Kentucky’s chief election official.
Each of the political parties has seen an increase in registered voters since the November 2012 General Election. Democrats have added 6,811 voters, growing 0.41% from 1,665,853 to 1,672,664. Republicans have grown their ranks by 3.90%, or 44,852 voters, from 1,151,331 to 1,196,183.
The number of voters registering as “Other” continues to trend upward. “Other” registration has increased by 16,530 voters, or 7.51%, from 219,969 to 236,499 since the 2012 General Election, after growing more than 13% between the 2010 and 2012 General Elections. In comparison, “Other” registration grew about 1.6% between the General Elections of 2008 and 2010.
The electorate is comprised of approximately 53% women and 47% men, which is consistent with recent years. Democrats now make up 53.86% of Kentucky voters while 38.52% are Republicans. 7.62% of voters are identified as “Other.” For Democrats, the figures represent a decrease in percentage of voters since November 2012, with a change of -0.99%; Republicans and “Other” increased their relative representation by 0.61% and 0.37%, respectively.
“Now that the registration books are closed, I hope as many Kentuckians as are registered will exercise their right and responsibility to vote in our Primary Election,” said Grimes. “The Commonwealth provides various methods for its citizens to vote, including going to the polls on May 20, voting in county clerks’ offices before Election Day, or casting a mail-in absentee ballot.”
Voters may access the Voter Information Center (VIC) on the State Board of Elections’ website to confirm their voter registration status, view sample ballots, and locate their polling place. For complete registration statistics, additional election information, or to access the VIC, visit elect.ky.gov.
