Voter Empowerment
When states make it easier to vote, more people vote. Kentucky makes voting extra hard.
Amidst a surge of turnout during early voting this year in several other states, Kentucky is left out: Most Kentucky voters have to wait until Election Day and they will have only 12 hours (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.) to vote.
2018 election by the numbers
KFTC members leaned into this election cycle more heavily than any other, conducting large-scale voter registration, education and mobilization in our communities to lift up important issues, to listen to our neighbors, and help them get involved. KFTC’s New Power PAC formed Democracy Teams that recommended candidate endorsements and led local work to support candidates who most advanced KFTC’s Vision.
We can't stop now. Help build grassroots power for 2019.
Today we kick off KFTC’s fall fundraising campaign. We're inviting everyone to support Action for Democracy.
From June through election day, I talked with voters every week as a KFTC voter empowerment organizer.
I took action for democracy because I wanted everyone to get out and vote for candidates who reflect our values and understand issues that affect us. I helped folks to not just vote, but know who and what they were voting for.
Not everything went our way in this election, but 26 candidates endorsed by KFTC’s New Power PAC won their races. We challenged old guard candidates and made them talk about our issues and our values. We supported more women and people of color candidates. And KFTC members, voters and candidates gained skills to grow our grassroots power.
Felony Voting Ban: "Double Jeopardy" in Kentucky?
They've paid their dues for mistakes of their past, however an estimated 300,000 Kentuckians are not allowed to cast a ballot on Election Day.
Kentucky is one of four states that takes away the voting power of all people with a felony conviction for their entire lifetime.
Why So Many Kentuckians Are Barred From Voting on Tuesday, and for Life
Nationwide, some 6.2 million citizens cannot vote or hold office because they have felony records. But only Kentucky, Iowa and Florida impose lifetime bans, and polls indicate that Floridians are poised to approve a constitutional amendment on Tuesday that would restore rights to 1.4 million residents who have completed their sentences.
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