Do you know your voter rights as a Kentucky voter? While our elections almost always go very smoothly, thanks to good work by all levels of government and some very dedicated voluteers, it is always good to know your rights in case things DON’T go smoothly.
Our excellent Secretary of State, Allison Grimes, has a well-done web site with an abundance of good info. One section is about elections and voting, and includes the Voter Rights and Responsibilities. With credit to the team that built that web site and that page, here are your Kentucky Voter Rights and Responsibilities:
As a Kentucky voter, you have the right to:
- Vote if you are a registered voter
- Ask questions on election procedures
- Review a sample ballot before voting
- Vote in privacy and free from coercion or intimidation
- Have non-discriminatory equal access to the elections system for all voters, including elderly, disabled, and minority, military and overseas citizens
- Vote if you are in line to vote by 6:00 p.m., prevailing time on election day
- Occupy the voting booth up to two minutes if others are waiting in line
- Have your ballot count if it is cast legally and timely
- Vote in an accessible voting place
- Receive assistance in voting if you are blind, have a physical disability, or have an inability to read English. (The person assisting you can be a someone you choose or the two precinct election judges, except that the voter’s employer, an agent of that employer, or an officer or agent of the voter’s union shall not assist a voter)
- Request and have an immediate hearing before the county board of elections on election day if your eligibility to vote is questioned. Any decision of the county board of elections may be immediately appealed to a circuit judge
- Skip races if your ballot has multiple issues. You are not required to vote in every race. Blank sections on your ballot will not affect any of the other votes you have cast
Vote a provisional ballot if:
- Voter name does not appear on the precinct roster and whose registration status cannot be determined by the precinct officer
- Voter name does not appear on the precinct roster and who has been verified as ineligible to vote
- Voter does not have identification
- Voter is voting as a result of a Federal or State Court Order or any Order under state law in effect 10 days prior to election day which extends polling hours
- Voter has been challenged by all four precinct election officers
- Check our Provisional Voter Information link to determine if your provisional ballot was counted or not counted
As a Kentucky voter, you have the responsibility to:
- Register to vote at least 29 days before the election
- Respect the privacy and voting rights of others
- Follow instructions concerning election procedures
- Follow all federal and state voting laws
- Review your ballot before casting it to ensure it is complete and correct
- Treat election workers and other voters with courtesy and respect
- Be informed about the candidates and issues on the ballot
- Keep your voter registration and address records current
Under state or federal law, it is a crime for a voter to willfully and knowingly:
- Impersonate another person in order to vote or attempt to vote
- Vote or attempt to vote under a false name
- Vote or attempt to vote more than once in the same election
- Influence or attempt to influence a voter’s voting decision through the use of force, threat, menace, intimidation, bribery, reward, or offer of reward
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