Secretary of State
Kentuckians Have Online Resources to Help with Election

(Frankfort, KY) Kentuckians have access to multiple online services which will allow voters to prepare for the upcoming general election.  Citizens can view sample ballots online, check their voter registration, and obtain driving directions to their polling location – all by visiting the new Vote Kentucky! online presence created by the Office of the Secretary of State with support from the Kentucky State Board of Elections at: www.vote.ky.gov. 

            “Information about the voting process should be as accessible as possible,” stated Secretary of State Trey Grayson.  “This allows citizens to better educate themselves about the candidates and initiatives for which they will be voting on Election Day and have access to pertinent voting information for the elections process.”

            The Office of the Secretary of State worked with County Clerks across the Commonwealth as well as with election services providers, Harp Enterprises and Kentuckiana Election Services, to place as many ballots on the internet as possible.  All of Kentucky counties’ sample ballots are now available online.

            The Office of the Secretary of State also offers a candidate registrar database where voters can view information about candidates that file with the Office of the Secretary of State.  Most of those candidates have their photos, email addresses, and links to their campaign websites available via this online tool.  The registrar database also serves as a confirmation service of official candidates along with the Office of the Secretary of State Election Security Seal Program.  

The Security Seal program, a first-in-the nation online service, is a new effort to protect voters from fraudulent campaign websites. Official candidates who have filed with the Office of the Secretary of State have the option to place an encrypted seal of the Secretary of State onto their site.  When a visitor clicks on the seal, it will redirect them to a site for official authentication.  In providing the latest in encryption services, the program delivers trust, confidence, as well as peace of mind among voters and candidates as they become secured and certified interactive online participants.  During the 2004 elections, it is estimated that 75 million Americans used the Internet to obtain political news and information, making the Internet and online campaigning a top focus and communications medium for politicians and political groups.  A number of candidates for statewide constitutional offices are currently using the seal on their sites, including both gubernatorial slates.

            Kentuckians who do not know where they are supposed to vote can find their voter information via the State Board of Elections website’s Voter Information Center (VIC).  The Voter Information Center can provide information on a particular registered voter’s polling location, party registration, and driving directions from the registered address to the polling location.  The service can now be accessed from many mobile devices.

            “It is particularly important for voters to verify the address of their polling location due to polling locations we see every election cycle,” noted Grayson.  “Checking this information before Election Day can reduce confusion before a citizen heads to the polls.”

            Other elections services that Kentuckians can find online include the Election Night Tally system, where citizens can access up to the minute unofficial results of the election, as well as general information about the election process in Kentucky.

The new Vote Kentucky! site is in response to the National Campaign for Political and Civic Engagement’s report entitled: Navigating the Vote: A Review of How State Voter Education Websites Address the Needs of Young Voters.  The report examined how information is provided to voters via voter information websites.  The authors of the report reviewed Kentucky’s new site to ensure that it reached audiences in the way that the report recommends.

Citizens can access the Office of the Secretary of State’s Vote Kentucky! website at www.vote.ky.gov.  That site also contains a link to the Office of the Secretary of State’s website, www.sos.ky.gov, State Board of Elections website, www.elect.ky.gov, and the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance website, www.kref.ky.gov, where other election information is located.

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