Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes says this past November’s low voter turnout was unacceptable.
Speaking with the Young Professionals of Murray Tuesday, Grimes emphasized her office’s work to break down barriers to voting.
“Everything from working with our military and overseas voters," Grimes said. "They can now register electronically, receive their absentee ballots electronically, so that we are ensuring their voices are heard from the battlefield back here at the ballot box."
Grimes said voter turnout last November was affected by campaign spending.
“We had over $100 million spent here in Kentucky, a race I was part of," Grimes said. "And those millions upon millions of dollars didn’t actually increase participation but rather pushed participation down, so much so that we were below 50 percent, and to me that’s unacceptable."
Grimes said she will continue to advocate for legislation that would allow all Kentuckians to register to vote electronically, though a related bill failed in the legislature this year.
“Those are initiatives that I’ve championed and will continue to champion so that all eligible Kentuckians can be a part of the process and can meaningfully participate,” Grimes said.
Grimes is running for re-election this year. Kentucky’s primary election is May 19.
