On November 3rd, Americans will cast their vote in the 2020 general election, meaning that you will cast your vote in the presidential race as well as several other races. For many of you, this will be your first time voting in a presidential election, let alone any election, and because of that you may be wondering how exactly you will go about voting. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the process is looking different this year. It is important, then, to become informed as to how you can go about voting in Kentucky this election. In this article, any Kentuckian will find all the information they need to vote.
The first and most important question to ask yourself is whether you are registered to vote. If you are 18 years old or will turn 18 by November 3rd, you are eligible to vote. If you are registered, you can ignore this. If you are not, then there are a variety of ways to register. One way is to attend the Voter Registration Drive that is going to be happening here at Thomas More by the administration building on the 29th and 30th of September as well as the 1st of October, from 11am-1pm each day. Kentuckians for the Commonwealth will be working in conjunction with the Student Activities Board as well as the Political Science Club to host this event. The other option is to register to vote online. You can do this at GoVoteKy.com. When you arrive at the site, you will click on the tab that says New/Update Registration and then follow the steps it gives you. The deadline to register to vote is October 5th.
The next step is knowing how you can vote. Every resident at Thomas More University may request an absentee ballot to be mailed to them at school. You can also request an absentee ballot if you do not feel safe going to the polls in person for COVID-19 related reasons. To request your absentee ballot, go to GoVoteKy.com and click “Absentee Ballot Request.” It will then ask you why you are requesting a ballot. Be sure to check off the appropriate reason. You will be asked to provide information such as your name, your address, your alternate address if you are not currently residing at home, your social security number, and your phone and email. Fill out all the necessary information correctly. The deadline to request your absentee ballot is Friday, October 9th.
Another way to vote this election is in-person, either early or on election day. From October 13th to November 2nd, you will have the opportunity to vote in-person at one of the designated early polling places. The trouble with this is the variety of hours in which certain polling places will be open. Kenton County’s early voting location’s hours may be different than, say, Boone or Campbell county’s. The best way to find out your early voting polling place’s hours is to search your County Clerk’s website or call your County Clerk. You can find the Kenton County Clerk’s website with all the information about early voting easily available by clicking here. Election day voting will take place at the various polling places from 6am-6pm.
To become more informed about the candidates on your ballot, use resources such as Ballotpedia.org or the League of Women Voters website. The Kentucky Secretary of State’s website also has a pdf copy of every county’s sample ballot, which is a preview of what your actual ballot will look like.
Voting is what keeps our democracy running, and its up to you to make your voice heard. Young voters have historically had lower turnout compared to older generations. This needs to change. If you want the issues you care about to be on the mind’s of our elected officials, the best thing you can do is vote. So get registered and vote!
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