Posted by: Beth Bissmeyer on November 6, 2012
I picked up a man, Thomas, who lives off Preston Highway so he could vote at 6am. When we pulled up to his polling place, there was a line of people out the door waiting to vote. Fifteen minutes later when Thomas came out of St. Rita's, he said, "It's exciting to see that many other people voting." I asked him what races he was excited to vote in. "All of them! This is actually my first time voting, so I'm excited just to vote."
Thomas then told me he is a Texas native and it was his path to recovery that brought him to Kentucky. He has been sober for seven years and now teaches and helps others in their recovery. And he just voted for the first time. Moments like that is what makes this work so worthwhile, when you see democracy in action and see people lifting themselves up by making their voices heard.
- Beth Bissmeyer
Posted by: Dave Newton on November 6, 2012
It's 6:00 a.m. Eastern time and polls are open across most of Kentucky.
So get out and vote! - and use these last 12 hours to do what you can to get other people learning about the candidates and voting.
Polls will be open until 6:00 p.m. local time. If you're in line at 6:00 p.m. you'll be able to vote even if you actually cast your vote a few minutes later. But don't cut it close!
Keep an eye on this blog throughout the day. We're going to have lots of updates of our activities throughout the state - with pictures, stories, and quotes from our members.
And finally - please keep an eye out for election irregularities - folks having trouble voting at polls, folks trying to buy votes, etc. If you do see anything like that out there, please let us know so we can try to intervene.
Posted by: Stephanie Tyree on November 5, 2012
KFTC members, advocates for democracy and church members came together on Sunday, November 4th for the first Singing for Democracy in eastern Kentucky. 65 people came to the Consolidated Baptist Church in Hazard to hear singing, testimony and share fellowship over a chili supper cooked by church members and Perry County chapter member Jenny Williams.
Consolidated Baptist Church pastor Rev. Lowell Parker of Wheelwright, Floyd County, served as emcee for the night, introducing the speakers, distinguished guests and even singing with the church choir. The program started with a rousing rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner by Lexington singer Special K. The Consolidated Baptist Choir and visiting Rev. Jake Ravizee fueled the event with songs of praise and worship. Evangelist Jake Ravizee has been an Ordained Minister-Evangelist and Vocalist for over 35 years. He lives in Lynch, Kentucky with his wife and three children. His years of service through prison ministries made him especially excited to be a part of this important event.
There was an impressive turnout both from local community members and from local elected officials. State Senator Brandon Smith, Court of Appeals Judge Janet Stumbo and Commonwealth Attorney Teresa Reed all attended the event. Judge Stumbo, who is seeking election to the state Supreme Court, spoke briefly about the meaning of democracy after Rev. Parker invited her up to the podium. Her vision of democracy included memories she had of being a child in Floyd County, watching her father tally votes off the radio during election nights, and watching the impressive campaign led by KFTC in the 1980s to stop the broad form deed.
Posted by: Dave Newton on November 5, 2012
Last night in Hazard we had our 11th Singing For Democracy Gospel Festival, bringing together people to fight for restoration of voting rights to nearly a quarter of a million Kentucky citizens.
It was a powerful reminder that not all of us have the right to vote and it's worth fighting for.
Collectively, our votes and our voices are powerful, so please use them.
In Kentucky, polls are open tomorrow (Tuesday, November 6) from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time.
Please take a moment now to plan when you'll vote, make sure you know where your polling place is, review who's running, and decide who to vote for in national, state and local races.
Our website at www.KentuckyElection.org can give you much of the basic information you might need.
Posted by: Dave Newton on November 4, 2012
Our friends at the Marguerite Casey Foundation and Equal Voice just put together a powerful video following one of our leaders, Tayna Fogle, of Lexington.
Power of Voice from Equal Voice on Vimeo.
Tayna Fogle is a grandmother, basketball player extraordinaire, and former addict who spent nearly part a decade in prison. In order to stand up for the issues that were important to her family, she had to bravely defend against harsh drug sentencing policies and learn to navigate bureaucratic mazes to regain her right to vote. Today she works with Kentuckians for the Commonwealth as an organizer and voting rights activist to help others do the same. Her story is appropriately called “Power of Voice.”
Posted by: Stephanie Tyree on November 2, 2012
KFTC members from Perry and Letcher counties came together last night to hold an East Kentucky phone-banking event in preparation for election day, next Tuesday November 6.
With support from members of these two chapters, we held the largest phonebank that East Kentucky has had in at least the last three years, with 8 members, staff and volunteers calling over 300 members – every person in our database for the east Kentucky counties and the 100 people we helped register as new voters during the fall voter registration period.
Posted by: Dave Newton on November 1, 2012
Scott County KFTC member have been busy lately
A few days ago, we gathered with Georgetown NAACP and had an evening of voter mobilization calls, calling through a list of 150 people in an evening, and making a plan to distribute 300 print voter guides.
Last night, our allies in the Georgetown College Sociology Club organized a Social Justice workshop where students got to learn about the work of such campus groups as the Student Abolitionist Movement, Student Women and Gender Society, Campus Spectrum, Georgetown Sustainability Initiative, Ambassadors of Diversity, and Common Ground (Campus Ministry).
Posted by: Carey Henson on November 1, 2012
Madison County has been at it again! On Halloween, members pounded the pavement on EKU's campus, handing out "Zombie" election reminders and voter guides. Many students are excited to be voting in their first Presidential Election and promised to get to the polls next Tuesday.
On Thursday night members met at the Berea office to eat a pasta dinner (with homemade sauce - YUM!) and snack on leftover Halloween candy. We made over a hundred phone calls to voters who registered at our tabling events, and got positive responses. Several voters appreciated that we could look up their polling place online, and many are planning to look up their ballot ahead of time by using the link on www.KentuckyElection.org.
Posted by: Cory Lowery on November 1, 2012
On Tuesday, October 30th, members of the Madison County chapter joined with Berea College's Student Government Association to sponsor a candidates' forum where candidates for Berea's City Council w
Posted by: Joe Gallenstein on October 31, 2012
Members of the Northern Kentucky chapter of Kentuckians For The Commonwealth, along with members of Northern Kentucky University's Environmentally Concerned Organization of Students (ECOS), recentl
