Easy Cure for Heavy Turnout: Early Voting

In the traditional pre-election press release, Kentucky SoS Alison Lundergan Grimes predicts record turnout but fails to suggest even one way to alleviate probable long lines and confusion resulting from that turnout.

No extra machines, no additional poll locations, no added poll workers, no extended hours ... no early voting.

Kentucky is one of thirteen states that fail to provide unrestricted early voting hours and days. And it makes us look fucking stupid.

You wanna run for higher office, Alison baby? Thinking about challenging Mitchie-poo in 2014? How about dragging Kentucky's electoral system into the 21st century? Tell your Daddy that all you want for Christmas is for the General Assembly to approve early voting.

From the Courier:

Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes on Tuesday predicted a record number of voters will go to the polls in the Nov. 6 general election, with statewide voter turnout likely between 62 percent and 64 percent.

But Grimes said the prediction may be affected by the lingering impact of Hurricane Sandy, which dumped heavy snow on parts of Eastern Kentucky. She said the full extent of the storm is not yet known.



Grimes said that to date, absentee voting activity is on par with the 2008 general election. With 130,000 more registered voters than in 2008, Grimes predicted a record number of ballots will be cast next Tuesday.


As of the Oct. 9 registration deadline, Kentucky had 3,037,153 registered voters, up 4.5 percent from 2,906,809 in the 2008 general election, based on figures released by the secretary of state’s office.



Republicans gained 28,884 voters since the May primary, while Democratic numbers grew 18,926, the figures showed. But Democrats still outnumber Republicans — 1.66 million to 1.15 million.



Grimes’ office said the numbers indicate a heightened interest in the presidential election, even though Republican Mitt Romney remains a solid favorite to beat Democratic President Barack Obama in Kentucky.