Effective July 1, 2021, KRS 117.001 requires a photo I.D. for any voter who wishes to vote in an election in Kentucky. The law requires “proof of identification” of the voter using a photograph of the voter.
This means all voters need to bring a photo ID to the polls in order to be able to vote.
KRS 117.001(13) defines “Proof of Identification” as:
- Any document issued by the United State or the Commonwealth of Kentucky that has the voter’s name and a photograph. State ID cards for non-voters, driver’s licenses, or passports all fit in this category.
- A public or private college or technical school ID from a school within the United States that has the name of the person and a photo of the person.
- A Kentucky city or county government ID that has the name of the person and a photograph of the person. (A federal government ID should also fit in this category, even though that is not stated expressly in the law).
The ID must be current (not expired) and the name of the person on the ID must be the person’s current name.
If a voter has changed names, via marriage or otherwise, the voter should bring proof of that legal change of name. Voters should be able to vote on provisional ballots if they do not have proof of the legal name change with them.
If the ID has no address on it, that ID should still be sufficient to establish proof of identity.
If the ID is a driver’s license or state non-driver ID card with an incorrect address on it, the voter should bring proof of current address (a utility bill, rental agreement, mortgage, etc.) that shows that the voter is entitled to vote in the voting location. Voters without proof of current correct address should be able to vote on a provisional ballot.
The photograph does not have to look like the voter. There is no requirement in the law that a voter with a different gender identification, or different hair or facial hair, have a new ID made to reflect that new image.
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Provided to Forward Kentucky by Anna Whites, attorney
