Turnout. Turnout, Turnout, TURNOUT. Nothing Else Matters

So Kentucky, like a lot of other states, now boast record-high voter registration.

It doesn't matter unless all those registered voters actually get to the polls.

That's the goal now.  Forget everything else.

From the Herald:

A record number of Kentuckians will be eligible to vote on Election Day, according to Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes.

More than 3.3 million people are registered to vote in the November election, an increase of more than 50,000 from the primary election.

Grimes said 106,000 voters have registered since March, when the state unveiled its online voter registration system.

About 30 percent of all new voters registered online, with younger voters using the online system the most.

“I’m really proud of the work that we’ve done to launch online voter registration,” Grimes said. “It’s an enormous success in Kentucky.”

KY Takes Small Step to EXPAND Voting

Weird, right?  Kentucky already has one of the most restrictive voting rulebooks in the country: no early voting, no weekend or evening voting hours, ID required, etc.

But now this.



Jack Brammer at the Herald:

Kentuckians can now register to vote online.

Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes touted the state’s new online registration system, GoVoteKy.com, Monday at a news conference in the Capitol Rotunda.

Grimes, the state's chief election official, said Kentucky voters also can use the system to change their existing registration information, such as political party affiliation.

Before, Kentuckians had to register to vote or change voting information by mail or in person using voter registration cards.

The new system will be more convenient, said Grimes, noting that 30 states already have online registration.

The system was activated March 1.

“Already, a 93-year-old went online to update her registration,” Grimes said.

Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw, who attended the news conference, said about 100,000 voters in Jefferson County have used the new system in the last 10 days to either register or to update their registration.

Bevin to file a lawsuit against online registrants in 3, 2 ....

Good job, Alison.  Now let's establish vote-by-mail and turn this state blue again.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article65982842.html#storylink=cpy

Voter Registration Deadline MONDAY

From KFTC:

There are only a few days left to register to vote in the May primary election!

To be eligible to vote in the May Primary Election your voter registration form must be completed at your local County Clerk's office or mailed and postmarked by Monday, April 20.

Not yet registered or need to update your registration?

Visit your local County Clerk's office or download a voter registration card and mail it in by April 20. For answers to common voter registration questions please see “Voter FAQs” below or visit KFTC's website.

JOIN THE FUN AND HELP US REGISTER KENTUCKY VOTERS!

Many KFTC chapters have scheduled voter registration outreach events leading up to the deadline, so contact your local KFTC organizer to see how you can pitch in. 

Voter FAQs:

• How can I check if I am registered to vote and what party I am registered with?
  
  • Click here to visit the Voter Information Center or call 1-800-246-1399, Hours of operation: 8:00 am-4:30 pm EST 
    
• Where do I register?
  
  • Visit your local County Clerk’s Office. Click here for location listings.
    
  • Download a voter registration card here, and mail it to your local County Clerk’s office.
    
• When are the Primary Election and the General Election?
  
  • Primary Election Day is May 19 and the General Election Day is November 3
    
• Can I update my political party, address, and/or name?
  
  • YES! For name and address changes, complete a voter registration form and submit by April 20. For political party changes please read below:
    
    • Kentucky has closed party primary elections. This means you can only vote for candidates that are running within the party you selected to register with when completing your voter registration form.
      
    • The deadline for Kentucky voters to change their political party for the 2015 Primary Election was on or before December 31, 2014. If you are not registered with the party you cast your vote for during the Primary Election you forfeit the right to vote in either party's Primary. However, if you are registering as a new Kentucky voter this rule does not pertain to you. To find where you are currently registered and what party you are registered as, visit the Voter Information Center here.
      
• How old do I have to be?
  
  • You must be 18 years of age on or before November 3, 2015. 17-year-olds may register and vote in the May Primary as long as they will turn 18 before November 3, 2014
    

For more information regarding voter registration rules and regulations please visit the Voter Empowerment section of our website.

Attention College Students!

You are legally allowed to register to vote in the county where you live and attend college. If you are still registered in your home county here are your 3 options for voting:

1) ABSENTEE BALLOT:

• You are eligible if you will not be in the county you registered to vote
• Absentee ballot request must be submitted to your County Clerk 7 days before the election
• Send request to your County Clerk by email, mail, in person or fax:
• Your absentee ballot must be received by the close of polls, 6pm, on Primary Election Day, May 19th

2) EARLY VOTING:

• You are eligible if you will not be in the county you registered to vote
• A voting machine at the County Clerk’s office is available during the last 12 (or more) working days before the election for qualified voters.

3) ELECTION DAY VOTING:

• Primary Election Day is May 19, 2015
• Click HERE to check your voter registration status and voting location at or 1-800-246-1399
• The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., local time

Only Four Days Left to Register to Vote in Kentucky Primary

A lot of Kentucky elections are decided six months before November.  Don't wait until the general election to realize you missed your chance to vote for the person you really wanted to vote for.

And if you hate everybody on the ballot?  Then vote in the primary just because repugs are trying to deny you the right to do so.  Annoy repug voter suppressors: Vote Democratic.

From Kentuckians for the Commonwealth:

To be eligible to vote in the May Primary Election your voter registration form must be completed at your local County Clerk's office or mailed and postmarked by Monday, April 21, 2014.

Not yet registered or need to update your registration?

Visit your local County Clerk's office or download a voter registration card and mail it in by April 21, 2014. For answers to common voter registration questions please see “Voter FAQs” below or visit KFTC's website.

JOIN THE FUN AND HELP US REGISTER KENTUCKY VOTERS!

Many KFTC chapters have scheduled voter registration outreach events leading up to the deadline, so contact your local KFTC organizer to see how you can pitch in. 

Voter FAQs:

• How can I check if I am registered to vote and what party I am registered with?
  • Click here to visit the Voter Information Center or call 1-800-246-1399, Hours of operation: 8:00 am-4:30 pm EST  
• Where do I register?
  • Visit your local County Clerk’s Office. Click here for location listings.
  • Download a voter registration card here, and mail it to your local County Clerk’s office.
• When are the Primary Election and the General Election?
  • Primary Election Day is May 20, 2014 and Election Day is November 4, 2014
• Can I update my political party, address, and/or name?
  • YES! For name and address changes, complete a voter registration form and submit by April 21^st. For political party changes please read below:
    • Kentucky has closed party primary elections. This means you can only vote for candidates that are running within the party you selected to register with when completing your voter registration form.
    • The deadline for Kentucky voters to change their political party for the 2014 Primary Election was on or before December 31, 2013. If you are not registered with the party you cast your vote for during the Primary Election you forfeit the right to vote in either party's Primary. However, if you are registering as a new Kentucky voter this rule does not pertain to you. To find where you are currently registered and what party you are registered as, visit the Voter Information Center here. 

• How old do I have to be?
  • You must be 18 years of age on or before November 4, 2014. 17-year-olds may register and vote in the May Primary as long as they will turn 18 before November 4, 2014

For more information regarding voter registration rules and regulations please visit the Voter Empowerment section of our website.

Drop What You're Doing and Register to Vote Right Now

You have until next Tuesday, October 9 to register to vote in Kentucky.

A voter registrtaion card can be obtained and completed at your county clerk's office or click here to download a voter registration card in PDF format.  You must have the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Option 1
Print out the form, fill out the voter registration card by hand, sign it, and mail to the State Board of Elections.

Option 2 
Fill out the voter registration card using the computer, print out the form, sign it, and mail it to the State Board of Elections.

No, of course you can't register to vote online in Kentucky.  But you can check your registration status online.

Once you are registered to vote, your county clerk will send you an acknowledgement card verifying your registration or informing you of a problem with your registration. This card will provide you with the information concerning your precinct location for Election Day.  Contact your county clerk if you do not receive notification within 2-3 weeks or, if it is close to the registration deadline, to check the status of your registration. You will not receive notification if you are moving within the same precinct or are only changing your political party affiliation.

You may also check your voter registration at any time with the State Board of Elections’  Voter Information Center.

Any citizen may inspect or make copies of any registration record, pursuant to KRS 116.095.  However, Social Security Numbers will not be disclosed.

If you have any questions about filling out the voter registration card, please contact your county clerk or the State Board of Elections.

Polls are open in Kentucky on election day - Tuesday, Nov. 6 - from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

No, I'm not going to tell you how important it is for you, personally, to vote. If you don't understand that, what are you doing reading a political blog?

Yes, you are too going to vote, so make sure you're registered

The deadline for registering to vote in Kentucky in the Nov. 2 general election is next Monday, Oct. 4.

County Clerks’ offices throughout Kentucky will accept voter registration cards until the close of business that day. A postmark of October 4 is also required for all mail-in voter registration applications. Registration cards can be obtained over the internet at www.vote.ky.gov/register.

“I encourage all citizens who have not already done so, to register to vote today,” stated Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson. “We hope to see everyone exercising their constitutional right to vote on November 2, 2010.”

To be a registered voter in Kentucky, you must: be a U.S. citizen, be a resident of Kentucky, be at least 18 years of age on or before November 2nd, not be a convicted felon, or if you have been convicted of a felony, your civil rights must have been restored by executive pardon, have not been judged “mentally incompetent” in a court of law and have your voting rights removed, and not claim the right to vote anywhere outside Kentucky.

Additionally, Secretary Grayson reminded voters that if they have moved recently, they need to update their voter registration so that they are allowed to vote on election day. In particular, if a voter has moved from one county to another prior to the voter registration books closing and he or she does not update his or her voter registration, that voter will not be allowed to vote in the general election.

If citizens are unsure whether they have registered to vote or uncertain as to where they will vote, they can view all of that information online through the Voter Information Center (VIC). The VIC will tell voters where they are registered to vote, the location of their polling site, and their political affiliation. It also provides links to elected representatives, sample ballots, and driving directions from the voter’s home to his or her polling location. VIC can be accessed at www.vote.ky.gov/vic.

To obtain a list of county clerks and other voter registration sites in your area, contact the Kentucky State Board of Elections at (502) 573-7100 or via the web at www.elect.ky.gov.

The Election of a Generation: Only Three Days Left to Register to Vote

This is the election you will tell your great-grandchildren about: the one that settled the United States on an irreversible decline into crippling debt, losing wars and global irrelevance, or the one that restored American leadership in the world, and launched heroic campaigns to solve global warming, poverty and sectarian strife.

What will you say? "Yes, I was there, I voted for the President who made all the difference."

Or will you say "Well, I wanted to vote, but you had to register weeks in advance, and I was so busy, and the deadline just slipped my mind ..."

No Excuses! The Obama campaign has put together a one-stop web page that lets you register to vote more quickly and easily than updating Facebook.

And not just register, but request an absentee ballot and find your polling location. In any county. In any state. Anywhere in the United States of America.

It takes about three minutes. Three minutes to make sure that you are part of the biggest decision We The People have made in more than 75 years.

Most states have registration deadlines coming up in the next few days. Kentucky's is next Monday, October 6.

Do Not Fuck This Up. Register Now.

Cross-posted at BlueGrassRoots..