Hosting a voter registration drive? Here's what you need to know.
· It is imperative that all voter registration cards be turned in to the appropriate county clerk at least twenty-nine (29) days before any election in order for the cards to be processed. Application deadlines are found here: Link to Homepage.
· Applicants are not registered to vote until the voter registration cards are processed at the County Clerk's office.
· Voters whose registration cards are submitted after this time will NOT be eligible to vote in the upcoming election.
· You can contact your County Clerk to determine if your voter registration card was received in a timely manner.
How do I get voter registration cards for my registration drive?
· Remember you can always encourage citizens to use their smartphone to visit govote.ky.gov to register online.
· Request cards from your local County Clerk. The individual or group hosting the drive must act under the supervision and directions of the County Clerk and must return these completed forms to the County Clerk for official registration by the County Clerk.
· For a substantial number of cards contact the State Board of Elections.
· You may also direct voters to our website (elect.ky.gov) to print out the online Voter Registration Card
Is the person eligible to register to vote in Kentucky?
· To be eligible to register to vote, a person must: be a U.S. Citizen and current resident of Kentucky not less than 28 days before the election;
o be at least 18 years old by the date of the next general election;
o not be a convicted felon (or, if convicted of a felony, my right to vote has been restored following an expungement, Executive Pardon, or Executive Order;
o not have been judged mentally incompetent in a court of law and have voting rights removed;
o not claim the right to vote anywhere outside Kentucky;
o See Kentucky Constitution § 145
· See KRS 116.055.
How will a person know if they are registered to vote?
· The person will receive a confirmation card in the mail from the County Clerk with the voter's precinct name and voting location address.
Is the voter registration card complete?
· A complete residential address must be provided on the voter registration card. Failure to do so will result in a delay in the processing of the application because the County Clerk may not be able to assign a precinct.
· A mailing address must be provided ONLY if it is different from the residential address. The mailing address is used to send the voter a confirmation that his/her voter registration has been processed or when the County Clerk's office needs more information in order to process the registration application.
· The voter must mark a choice in the party registration field. If no party registration is selected, the voter is eligible to vote for only nonpartisan offices in any primary election.
· A date of birth is required to verify that the voter meets the minimum age requirement for voting.
· Two witnesses are required for a voter signature ONLY if the voter uses a “mark" to sign his or her name.
· See KRS 116.155.
If the voter is already registered, how does the voter change his/her political party registration?
· If a voter is already registered, the voter may change his/her political party registration at any time, but must change prior to December 31 to be eligible to vote in their new party's primary election.
· See KRS 116.055.
The voter has moved. What does he need to do?
· It is very important that the County Clerk have the most up-to-date information as possible. A voter with a name or address change should complete a new voter registration card with the updated information and current signature or update their registration at GoVoteKY.com.
Where is the completed voter registration card sent?
· The voter registration card should be routed to the clerk in the county listed on the voter registration card [County where you live], NOT to the State Board of Elections. Find a listing of County Clerks here or contact the State Board of Elections.
How will the voter know where to vote?
· The voter will receive a notice in the mail from the County Clerk with his/her precinct name and voting location address. The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., local time. All voters in line by 6 p.m. will be able to vote. If a voter has any questions concerning where to vote, he/she may call the County Clerk or visit the Voter Information Center available on the State Board of Elections website. The Voter Information Center includes the address of the voter's precinct, a map with driving directions and party affiliation.
Penalties
KRS 119.025: No person may be registered to vote in more than one precinct or in a precinct where he is not a legal voter or gives false information when registering to vote.
Class D Felony
KRS 119.035: No person may fraudulently or unlawfully alter any registration record.
Class D Felony
KRS 119.045: No person may forcibly prevent another person from registering or interfere with the duties of a registration officer.
Class A misdemeanor
KRS 119.207: No person may compensate another person for registering voters based upon the total number of voters a person registers or the total number of voters a person registers for a particular party.
Class B misdemeanor