Ready, set, vote!

Election day is just around the corner, and Kentuckians across the Commonwealth are eager to get out and vote on Nov. 8. 

This year, Kentucky will be voting on two constitutional amendments, as well as a member of the U.S. Senate with Charles Booker taking on incumbent Rand Paul. In the House, newcomers Ethan Osborne and Matthew Lehman will be facing incumbent Thomas Massie. The races then break down by each county spanning everything from school board members, jailers, state representatives and city council members.

This year is a midterm election, as it is halfway through the presidential term. According to Nancy Hoffman, who has worked the polls in Kenton County for the last 14 years, the number of voters varies with each election.

“Typically, the midterm elections are much less popular than the primary elections, but this year we are expecting a larger turnout than midterms in the past,” Hoffman said.

Getting younger people to participate in elections can be difficult, but NKU’s Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement was determined to get the word out to students. Mark Neikirk, the executive director of the center, played a key role in getting students registered.

“Our biggest initiative was having our representatives speak to 26 different freshman-level classes, discussing the importance of voting, and helping students to register to vote,” Neikirk said. The Center also set up voter registration tables in the Student Union and displayed information on digital billboards and the university website.

After the 2020 election, the center’s analysis showed that nine out of ten NKU students were registered to vote, but that number is always changing. The initiative to help students get registered allowed Jade Waters, a junior at NKU majoring in biology, to vote for her very first time in the upcoming election.

“I feel good using my vote to hopefully make a difference in my community,” Waters said.

Kentucky residents can find voter information on their county website. In most cases, there is a sample ballot and information about polling locations, as well as absentee and early in-person voting. 

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 8. For voting requirements, live election night reporting, and all other information, visit elect.ky.gov.