Nadia Ramlagan, Producer
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Kentuckians have less than a week to register to vote in next month’s primary election.
If folks miss the April 22 deadline, residents can still register to vote in the presidential election this fall.
Laura Weinstein, chair of the League of Women Voters of Kentucky, is encouraging people to take action now. Voters will need to bring photo identification to the polls. A list of acceptable forms of identification is on the Secretary of State’s website.
Weinstein added the website vote411.org includes personalized information about registration and what’s on the ballot.
“We’ll be posting what are called voter guides,” Weinstein explained. “The candidates will be filling out questionnaires so voters can have a better sense of the candidates’ positions before going to the polls.”
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Election Day, May 21 and early voting runs from May 16-18. This year, Kentuckians will vote for state legislative and local offices, nominate candidates for Congress, and nominate their pick for the next U.S. president.
Weinstein noted there is still time to sign up to be a poll worker, through the website powerthepolls.org.
“And you can get compensated,” Weinstein pointed out. “You get $260 for Election Day and it’s a great way to learn, again, more about the process. So, that’s another excellent way to participate in a primary election as a voter this year.”
Research shows primaries typically have lower voter turnout than general elections. Weinstein stressed in a climate of widespread polarization and mistrust in elections, it is more important than ever people participate in the electoral process.
“We also know that voting is habit-forming,” Weinstein observed. “Even though there may not be a competitive race in your district, the more you go vote, the more likely it is you’ll vote in the future.”
More than more than two million Kentuckians showed up at the polls in the last presidential election in 2020, according to the Kentucky State Board of Elections.
Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.
