Kentucky

Articles about voting issues in Kentucky.

Supreme Court reiterates redistricting decision | Kentucky.com

Apr 272012

A legislative redistricting plan for Kentucky is unconstitutional because it doesn’t adequately address population shifts of the past decade, the Kentucky Supreme Court reiterated in a ruling Thursday. Justices also echoed a February decision that legislative candidates will have to run this year in districts that have been in place for the past 10 years. The 27-page ruling explains the legal rationale behind the previous ruling in which justices had originally declared the redistricting law unconstitutional. Read More »

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Kentucky Comments Off Topics: Kathy Stein, redistricting

State Supreme Court rules legislative redistricting plan unconstitutional | The Courier-Journal

Feb 272012
Kentucky

It took the state Supreme Court less than four hours Friday to decide that Kentucky’s redrawn legislative districts are unconstitutional, ruling that this year’s elections for the General Assembly must be run in the old district boundaries. The ruling was a victory for House Republicans and one Senate Democrat, who filed suit to challenge the plans contained in House Bill 1. They claimed the plans violated state constitutional guidelines. After hearing arguments Friday morning, the six-judge panel that heard the case voted unanimously to uphold Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd’s ruling that threw out the legislature’s redrawn district maps. “This court concludes that House Bill 1 … is facially unconstitutional, in violation of Section 33 of the Kentucky Constitution,” the ruling said. Read More »

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Kentucky Comments Off Topics: Phillip Shepherd, redistricting

House passes bill to restore felons' voting rights | necn.com

Feb 182012

The state House of Representatives has approved a proposal that would let Kentuckians decide whether to amend the state Constitution to restore some felons’ voting rights. The measure by Democratic Rep. Jesse Crenshaw of Lexington passed Thursday. Most felons would be eligible to vote after they have served their sentences or completed probation or parole. It would not apply to those convicted of treason, intentional killing, sex crimes or bribery. Read More »

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Kentucky Comments Off Topics: ex-felon enfranchisement, voting rights

Lawmakers approve congressional redistricting | San Antonio Express-News

Feb 132012

Lawmakers approved a congressional redistricting plan for Kentucky on Friday, a day after an attorney went to court to ask a judge to take over the issue. The House voted 58-26 for the plan, two hours after the Senate passed it 29-7. The heavily debated measure, which also reopens the congressional filing deadline for five days, was signed into law by Gov. Steve Beshear. Despite protests from the GOP, the plan bolsters the Democrats’ hold on the 6th Congressional District represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler. State Sen. Alice Forgy Kerr, R-Lexington, called the proposal the “Ben Chandler Lifetime Employment Act.” ”We’re making this a completely Democratic district,” Kerr said. Read More »

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Kentucky Comments Off Topics: Alice Forgy Kerr, redistricting, Steve Beshear

Kentucky weighs restoring voting rights to felons | The Courier-Journal

Feb 062012
bilde

Restaurant manager Jason Marvin Smith of Elizabethtown said he accepts full responsibility for a felony that landed him on probation as an 18-year-old for possessing a half-ounce of marijuana while driving his car with an improperly stowed gun. But what riles him is that after completing his probation, he still could not vote. “I was in civil purgatory,” said Smith, now 32, who lost his voting rights for years before a governor’s pardon restored them last year. Kentucky is one of only four states that permanently bar all felons from the polls — unless they get a pardon from the governor. Smith and others are fighting to change that. Read More »

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Kentucky Comments Off Topics: ex-felon enfranchisement, league of women voters, voting rights

GOP to seek injunction on House redistricting | Evansville Courier & Press

Jan 262012

Kentucky House Republicans plan to file a lawsuit within days challenging the constitutionality of a redistricting measure that hits GOP state representatives especially hard, the party’s House floor leader said Wednesday. Rep. Jeff Hoover said the lawsuit also will seek an injunction to delay implementation of the measure and ask that next Tuesday’s election filing deadline be postponed until the matter is resolved. A government watchdog group, concerned about what it considers overtly political motives that fashioned new legislative districts, may seek to join the case. ”I am very sympathetic,” said Richard Beliles, head of Common Cause of Kentucky. “I think this was very unfair.” Read More »

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Kentucky Comments Off Topics: Common Cause, redistricting

Activists pushing for automatic voting right restoration for felons | The Richmond Register

Jan 142012

More than 186,000 Kentuckians cannot participate in one of the most fundamental expressions of speech — the right to vote, according to a report by the League of Women Voters of Kentucky (LWVK). Kentucky is one of the two states that permanently disenfranchise all persons with felony convictions after they have completed their full sentence, except through executive pardon, the report says. “The right to vote is a foundation of citizenship,” social justice group Kentuckians for the Commonwealth stated on its website. “We require ex-felons to pay taxes and comply with the laws enacted by their legislators when they return to their communities. The right to vote, a hallmark of our democracy, should follow.” Read More »

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Kentucky Comments Off Topics: ex-felon enfranchisement, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, league of women voters

Ex-Cons Want Ballot Box Rights | Public News Service

Jan 042012

Voting rights advocates say it’s time to turn the tide for most of the 186,000 Kentuckians who are being denied a voice at the ballot box because they’re former felons who were convicted of nonviolent offenses.

The social justice group Kentuckians for the Commonwealth is one of nearly two dozen organizations backing a bill that calls for a constitutional amendment to restore voting rights automatically to nonviolent felony ex-offenders.  Read More »

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Kentucky Comments Off Topics: ex-felon enfranchisement, voting rights

County, state differ on Kentucky's homeless voters | Cincinnati.com

Oct 032011

Boone County officials have decided state law trumps the state board of elections, when it comes to homeless voters. County Clerk Kenny Brown said he will follow the direction of Kentucky Revised Statutes regarding voter registration as it pertains to homeless voters rather than follow a State Board of Elections memo.

As a result, homeless voters who do not supply a verifiable address will not be placed in any precinct for the November election, but could still potentially be allowed to vote. ”We are not trying to disenfranchise voters here or deprive anyone of the opportunity to vote,” Brown said. “I have an obligation to ensure the integrity of the election process and if I follow the memorandum from the State Board of Elections I don’t think I can do that.” Read More »

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Kentucky Comments Off Topics: homeless voters, voter registration

Ethics panel declines to act on complaint about registering homeless voters | Kentucky.com

Sep 212011

The Executive Branch Ethics Commission has decided not to take action on a complaint filed by Bill Johnson, Republican candidate for secretary of state, over voter registration of homeless people.

Johnson said Tuesday that John Steffen, executive director of the ethics commission, told him the panel lacked jurisdiction to consider his complaint against Secretary of State Elaine Walker and the State Board of Elections. After the commission’s regular meeting Monday, Steffen declined to comment.

Johnson contended in his complaint, filed in August, that Walker and the elections board were violating the Kentucky Constitution by allowing people who don’t have addresses to register to vote. Read More »

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Kentucky Comments Off Topics: Bill Johnson, Elaine Walker, homeless voters, voter registration

Grimes, Johnson Spar Over Homeless Voters | WFPL News

Aug 082011

Speaking at this year’s Fancy Farm picnic, the candidates for secretary of state continued their debate about registering homeless people to vote in Kentucky.
Declaring that people without an address should not be allowed to vote, Republican nominee Bill Johnson said allowing them to register opens the door to possible voter fraud.

Last month, he filed an ethics complaint over a 2-page memorandum sent to county clerks by the secretary of state’s office telling local officials to approve voter applications that have “homeless” or “place to place” listed as an address. Read More »

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Kentucky Comments Off Topics: Alison Grimes, Bill Johnson, homeless voters

Kentucky Legislators to look at homeless voter issue | cincinnati.com

Jul 272011

Secretary of State Elaine Walker and Boone County Clerk Kenny Brown will address state legislators Tuesday afternoon on the issues surrounding homeless voter registration. They will speak before the Interim Task Force on Elections, Constitutional Amendments and Intergovernmental Affairs to talk about the concerns raised over a memo last month from the Kentucky Board of Elections on the process for homeless voter registration.

Committee co-chairman Sen. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, said he called the meeting with Walker and Brown to help lawmakers decide whether legislation will be necessary to allay concerns. “I want to have a committee hearing about it so we can look at potentially addressing it in the next session,” Thayer said.

The June 30 homeless voter registration memo from Board of Elections Executive Director Sarah Ball Johnson to all county clerks drew the objection of Boone County Clerk Kenny Brown. Read More »

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Kentucky Comments Off Topics: Elaine Walker, homeless voters, voter registration

GOP candidate files ethics complaint over voter registration of homeless | Kentucky.com

Jul 162011

Bill Johnson, Republican candidate for secretary of state, filed an ethics complaint Thursday against Secretary of State Elaine Walker and the State Board of Elections over voter registration of homeless people.

Johnson, a Todd County businessman and educator, contends Walker and the board are violating the Kentucky Constitution by allowing people who don’t have addresses to register to vote. He says the elections board was wrong June 30 when it notified county clerks they could register voters who have no addresses.

The board said applications should be approved if they have “homeless” or “place to place” listed as addresses. Walker, who is chairwoman of the elections board, was not available for comment. Read More »

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Kentucky Comments Off Topics: Bill Johnson, Elaine Walker, homeless voters, voter registration

Secretary of State Candidates Spar Over Homeless Voters | WFPL News

Jul 152011

The candidates for Kentucky Secretary of State are sparring over the issue of registering homeless people to vote, which is becoming the first line of attack in the race for the commonwealth’s chief election officer.

Earlier this month, the state board of elections sent a 2-page memorandum to county clerks telling them to uphold up state law and approve registration cards that have “homeless” or “place to place” listed under their addresses. The memo said a clerk should not refuse to register a homeless person on the grounds they do not have a traditional residence, but some county officials raised concerns about potential election fraud.

Citing state law and the now-defunct community organizing group ACORN, Republican candidate Bill Johnson decried the memo and called on current Secretary of State Elaine Walker, who chairs the state board, to resign from office. Read More »

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Kentucky Comments Off Topics: Bill Johnson, Elaine Walker, homeless voters, voter registration

Johnson plans legal action regarding homeless voters issue | Kentucky Politics

Jul 092011

GOP Secretary of State candidate Bill Johnson said he will either file an ethics complaint or motion in court soon objecting to a memo sent from the state on the procedure for registering homeless voters.

The Kentucky Board of Elections sent a memo to county clerks identifying the need for clarification in voter registration applications from the homeless that have incomplete address information, due to a recent increase in the number of those voters.

Both Johnson and Boone County Clerk Kenny Brown have expressed concerns that the policy could lead to voter fraud. Read More »

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Kentucky Comments Off Topics: Bill Johnson, homeless voters, voter registration

Grimes’ campaign says homeless have a right to vote | Kentucky Politics

Jul 082011

Kentucky law does not require someone own property to vote, says the campaign manager of Democratic Secretary of State candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes. Campaign manager Jonathan Hurst issued a statement Wednesday in response to GOP opponent Bill Johnson’s response on issues raised over homeless voter registration.

Johnson echoed Boone County Clerk Kenny Brown’s concerns about a memo from the State Board of Elections instructing clerks not to refuse to register a homeless person because they don’t have a traditional residential address.

Read Grimes’ Full Statement at Grimes’ campaign says homeless have a right to vote | Kentucky Politics.

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Kentucky Comments Off Topics: homeless voters, residency requirement

Bill Johnson slams Secretary of State and his opponent on homeless voter registration | Kentucky Politics

Jul 082011

GOP Secretary of State candidate Bill Johnson has gone on the offensive with the issues raised over homeless voter registration.

Johnson echoed Boone County Clerk Kenny Brown’s concerns about a memo from the State Board of Elections instructing clerks not to refuse to register a homeless person because they don’t have a traditional residential address.

He issued another statement Wednesday morning: Read More »

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Kentucky Comments Off Topics: homeless voters, residency requirement

County clerks worry Kentucky homeless voter policy could lead to fraud | FOX19

Jul 072011

Kentucky election officials say there’s been an increase in the number of voter registration forms from the homeless so they felt the need to clarify a few rules. However, some local county clerks say the policy could lead to voter fraud.

Last week, State Board of Elections Executive Director Sarah Ball Johnson wrote all of the county clerks in Kentucky a memo, instructing them to approve all voter registration applications from people who are homeless — even if clerks can’t verify the addresses on the forms. The policy has been in place since 1998, but Johnson wanted to clarify it because of the number of applicants and newly elected county clerks. Read More »

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Kentucky Comments Off Topics: homeless voters, voter registration

Recanvass scheduled in Kentucky GOP Secretary of State race | Kentucky.com

May 212011

A recanvass of votes cast in Tuesday’s Republican primary election for secretary of state between Bill Johnson and Hilda Legg will be held May 26.

Legg, a consultant former executive director of the Center for Rural Development in Somerset, requested the recanvass by county boards of election in the closest race of Tuesday’s primary. Johnson, a Todd County businessman and teacher, defeated Legg by 1,097 votes with 100 percent of precincts reporting, according to the Associated Press. Read More »

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Kentucky Comments Off Topics: Hilda Legg, recanvass

Secretary of State Candidate intends to seek recanvass in Kentucky GOP secretary of state race | Kentucky.com

May 192011

Republican secretary of state candidate Hilda Legg said Wednesday that she intends to ask for a recanvass after Tuesday’s vote totals are certified. The Republican race for secretary of state was the closest of Tuesday’s primary.

According to The Associated Press, Todd County businessman and teacher Bill Johnson beat Legg, a Somerset consultant and former federal official, by 1,097 votes with 100 percent of precincts reporting. The official count — conducted by the Secretary of State’s office — will not be finalized until Friday. Legg has until Tuesday to ask for a recanvass.

Read More »

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Kentucky Comments Off Topics: Hilda Legg, recanvass, recount

Voter identification becomes issue in debate by secretary of state candidates | The Courier-Journal

Apr 192011

People would be required to show a birth certificate or other proof of citizenship before they could register to vote in Kentucky under a proposal by Hilda Legg, a Republican candidate for secretary of state. Legg, former head of the federal Appalachian Regional Commission, made the proposal during a televised debate Monday night with GOP opponent Bill Johnson, a western Kentucky businessman.

Johnson said he opposes the proposal, instead suggesting that only voters who have photo IDs be permitted to cast ballots. The two Republicans and two Democrats participated in back-to-back debates on Kentucky Educational Television. Read More »

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Kentucky Comments Off Topics: Alison Grimes, Bill Johnson, Elaine Walker, Hilda Legg, voter id
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