Kentucky Sets New Voter Registration Record

Kentuckians have again broken the record for voter registration, adding 57,145 voters to the rolls since the previous record was set before the May 2012 Primary Election. According to Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, a total of 3,037,153 Kentuckians are eligible to head to the polls on November 6, 2012.

“Our democratic government works best when all citizens are engaged, so I am excited to see Kentuckians eager to be involved in the process,” said Grimes. “I hope we can translate this record registration into record participation on Election Day.”

There has been an increase of more than 130,000 registered voters since the last Presidential Election, in 2008, at which time 2,906,809 citizens were registered. The total number of registered voters has increased by 1.92 percent since the 2012 Primary Election. In comparison, voter registration figures increased by a net of 26,766, or less than 1 percent, from the 2011 Primary to the 2011 General Election. Leading up to the 2008 General Election, registration totals increased by 49,578 voters, or 1.74 percent.

Each of the political parties has seen an increase in registered voters since the May 2012 Primary. Democrats have grown their ranks by 1.15 percent, or 18,926 voters, from 1,646,927 to 1,665,853. Republicans have added 28,884 voters, growing 2.57 percent from 1,122,447 to 1,151,331. “Other” has increased by 9,334 voters, or 4.43 percent, from 210,635 to 219,969.

Consistent with recent years, the electorate is comprised of approximately 53 percent women and 47 percent men. Democrats now make up 54.85 percent of Kentucky voters, and 37.91 percent are Republicans. 7.24 percent of voters are identified as “Other.” For Democrats, the figures represent a decrease in percentage of voters since May 2012, with a change of -0.42 percent; Republicans and “Other” increased their relative representation by 0.24 percent and 0.17 percent, respectively.

Since the 2008 General Election, there has been a net increase of 130,344 total voters, or 4.48 percent. There are 3,760 more Democrats, for an increase of 0.23 percent; 97,460 more Republicans, for an increase of 9.25 percent; and 29,124 more “Other” voters, for an increase of 15.26 percent. Since November 2008, the percentage of the electorate represented by each group has shifted -2.33 percent for Democrats, 1.65 percent for Republicans, and 0.67 percent for “Other.”