Election Time in Kentucky

It is that time of the year again. A time where you, the sovereign individual, can express any concerns or support of ideas through way of voting. Fortunately, voting turnout has reached record-breaking numbers in the past few years. In the U.S. 2020 general election, upwards of 158.4 million people voted, amounting to about 62.8% of people of voting age (Desilver, 2022). That marks the largest voter turnout in U.S. history, and Kentuckians did their part. With over two million Kentuckians doing their civic duty, the state saw the highest number of voters in a Kentucky election (Shreve, 2021). So, it is evident we are all doing our part in the U.S. general election, but what about voting for our local representatives? Unfortunately, for this year's primary election, the unofficial turnout for the state only reached 19%, which was short of the 31% turnout we had for the 2020 primaries (Watkins, 2022). 
Luckily, we have another chance. The general election in Kentucky is Tuesday, November 8th. This is our last chance of the year to cast our vote and fight for what we believe in. A common theme amongst people who do not vote is that their vote will not matter or that their lives will not be affected whether they vote or not. This thought could not be further from the truth. If you decide not to vote, you simultaneously decide not to have a voice. The consequences will affect your job, family, healthcare, and overall way of life. Use your freedom. Use your right. Moreover, use the most essential tool any human has at their disposal, their voice. And use it by going out to vote!
Voting Deadlines

• Early voting (in-person absentee voting) is Nov 3-5
• In-person is November 8th.

Resources

• Find your polling location: https://elect.ky.gov/Voters/Pages/Polling-Locations.aspx 
• Candidates running for open positions: https://www.ballotready.org/ky 
• Learn about local issues (to Lexington): https://www.civiclex.org/ 
• Voter guide: https://www.kentuckyelection.org/  

References
Desilver. (2022, November 1). Turnout in U.S. has soared in recent elections but by some measures still trails that of many other countries. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/11/01/turnout-in-u-s-has-soared-in-recent-elections-but-by-some-measures-still-trails-that-of-many-other-countries/ 

Shreve. (2021, January 14). 2020 Saw Kentucky’s Highest Voter Turnout Ever. 2020’s Record-High Kentucky Voter Turnout. Retrieved from https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2021/01/14/kentucky-2020-election-turnout-highest-ever 

Watkins. (2022, May 19). Voter turnout figures are in for Kentucky’s primary. Here’s how they compare to past years. The Courier-Journal. Retrieved from https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2022/05/19/kentucky-primary-election-2022-how-voter-turnout-compares-prior-years/9826730002/