KY has fourth-most people unable to vote because of felony convictions, report says
Kentucky has the fourth-most people unable to vote because of a felony conviction of any state in the U.S., according to new data from the League of Women Voters of Kentucky.
That’s a higher position than last year, when it had the seventh-most people unable to vote.
But a bill introduced in the state legislature last week could change that.
Senate Bill 225, sponsored by Democratic Senator Keturah Herron of Louisville, would amend the state’s constitution to automatically restore the voting rights of people convicted of some felonies upon completion of imprisonment, probation and parole.
Kentucky is one of only three states — along with Iowa and Virginia — that still prohibits people with felony convictions from voting for life if they don’t take some kind of further action.
About 153,000 Kentuckians are barred from voting despite a a 2019 executive order signed by Gov. Andy Beshear that allowed non-violent felony offenders to have their voting rights restored if they were pardoned by the Kentucky governor or had their records expunged.
Nearly 195,000 Kentucky residents regained their right to vote as a result of the order. Herron’s bill would extend those rights.
“This is a wonderful stopgap measure that it is in place right now, but we need a Constitutional amendment,” said Jennifer Jackson, president of the League of Women Voters of Kentucky.
Pardons are unpredictable with changing state governors, and expungements are difficult to obtain, the League of Women Voters said in a news release.
“The League concludes that amending the Kentucky Constitution is necessary to provide consistency and clarity in restoring voting rights to Kentuckians with convictions,” the release said.
The bill is one of several that aims to promote rights of people in the state’s legal and carceral systems.
