Voting Rights

Voting is the cornerstone of democracy. The ACLU of Kentucky works to protect and expand freedom to vote through advocacy, litigation and voter education.

In 2013, the ACLU of Kentucky’s legal program filed a lawsuit against the state because the General Assembly failed to enact constitutionally permissible legislative districts following the 2010 Census. The result of the General Assembly’s failure was thousands of Kentuckians’ votes being unlawfully diluted because they remained in districts enacted in 2002 that are now grossly overpopulated compared to other districts. We (and the plaintiffs in another redistricting suit filed in Northern Kentucky) obtained a federal court ruling declaring the 2002 maps unconstitutional and barring state officials from using them in future elections. Our victory was a vindication for Kentuckians voting rights!

Our voting rights advocacy efforts are focused on the restoration of voting rights for former felons. Kentucky is one of just a handful of states that permanently bars all individuals with felony convictions from ever voting. Individuals with felonies may be able to get their voting rights restored through a partial pardon from the governor.

Click here for an application to apply to have your voting rights restored.

For more information on the restoration of voting rights campaign and how you can get involved check out our handout.