Kentucky Voters Bill of Rights would bring our 19th-century voting system into the 21st

If there is one thing about which we can all agree, it is that much has changed over the past 175 years. And yet, for most Americans and all Kentuckians, we are still voting like our ancestors did in 1845, when Congress set the first nationwide date for elections. The decision to settle on a 12-hour window on a workday made sense then, when most Americans lived in rural areas and harvesting crops was over, but it is past time for election practices to catch up with our modern lives.

During the nearly two years I have been a state representative, I have sought to bring antiquated voting practices into the present. Many of my fellow House members also agree it is time to bring this 19th Century tradition into the 21st and make it easier for Kentuckians to fit voting into their schedules rather than the other way around. We are calling our plan the Kentucky Voters’ Bill of Rights.

Our two core proposals – allowing early, in-person voting and no-excuse absentee ballots – are the foundation of this year’s primary and general elections. Those changes may have been temporarily implemented because of COVID-19, but it is clear Kentuckians approve. Our primary election, for example, saw record participation, and there are growing signs that November’s election will set a similar high-water mark.

In future elections, we believe Kentuckians should be able to vote in person days before an election and on at least one weekend day, and that the polls on election day itself should stay open an extra hour to better accommodate those getting off work and dealing with rush hour traffic.

We also would formally establish a process to “cure,” or fix, mail in absentee ballots when mistakes are made. This would significantly reduce the number of rejected votes – there were more than 30,000 removed during the primary – and we’re pleased Governor Andy Beshear and Secretary of State Michael Adams authorized county clerks to implement a cure process this election. Government should work with voters to make sure every vote counts.

Other election day changes we think should become law would end straight-ticket voting, so all offices have to be considered individually, and give voters plenty of notice should their precinct be closed or moved.

In addition, the Kentucky Voters’ Bill of Rights calls for automatically registering eligible Kentuckians any time they apply for or renew their driver’s license or other government-issued ID, and allow voter registration on the day of an election. This is a natural extension of 1993’s federal Motor Voter law, which greatly expanded access to voter registration and was spearheaded by Kentucky’s own U.S. Senator Wendell Ford.

We also support a constitutional amendment that would finally have Kentucky join nearly every other state by automatically restoring voting rights to most felons after they complete their sentences. Governor Beshear’s executive order last December extended these rights to 170,000 Kentuckians with a non-violent felony record, but it will be up to voters to make something like this permanent.

Lastly, we think there should be more citizen input in the redistricting process, so that voters are the ones deciding their House and Senate districts rather than the very legislators who stand to benefit the most from the lines they themselves draw.

All of these provisions have worked well in other states, and many have shown promise here this year. If these are enacted, the benefit would extend beyond increased voter participation; we would also have elected leaders who better represent those they serve.

Times change, and while traditions matter, we should not be afraid of modernizing them when they no longer meet society’s needs. When it comes to voting, we know there’s a way to make citizen’s lives easier and less complicated; now, we as legislators need to make that a reality.

Rep. Maria Sorolis, D-Louisville, represents the 48th District of the state House.