Voting is fundamental to our democracy. Every single person, regardless of race, gender, wealth, or identity, deserves the right to have a say in how their community is governed and who is governing them.
A more democratic society – one that empowers all of us to participate in a system that is fair and efficient – is a stronger one, but that basic value is under assault. Donald Trump, Kris Kobach, and their allies in state legislatures are working to make it harder to vote, especially for people of color and younger voters.
It’s now or never for us to fight back. And ACLU People Power has launched a state-by-state effort to do just that.
The call to action is to amend the Kentucky constitution to permit the majority of Kentuckians with prior criminal convictions to regain the right to vote upon completion of their sentence. As it stands now, if a Kentuckian is convicted of any felony — with rare exceptions involving the Governor’s pardon authorities — they lose the right to vote permanently. Kentucky is one of just a handful of states that maintains this harsh penalty.
To place the amendment on the 2018 ballot, the Kentucky General Assembly must pass a bill during the 2018 legislative session. Updating the law would pave the way for over 170,000 Kentuckians to have their voting rights restored.
Click here to learn more or download the Kentucky action guide.