Secretary of State
October is Civics Month in Kentucky

(Frankfort, KY)  October is Civics Month in Kentucky, and there will be events throughout the Commonwealth to remind citizens, both young and old, about the importance of being engaged in the democratic process.  Civics Month developed out of the Civic Literacy Initiative of Kentucky (CLIK), chaired by Secretary of State Trey Grayson, and was made official by the passage of House Joint Resolution 109 during the 2005 session of the Kentucky General Assembly.

            “Civics month is a perfect opportunity for citizens to focus on the importance of being engaged in their local community as well as participating in the democratic process,” stated Secretary Grayson.

            Civics month in Kentucky has opportunities abounding for Kentucky students.  College students are currently participating in mock elections where they can vote for their preferred candidates for President of the United States and United States Senator.   The mock elections also include voter registration drives and information sessions about voting in Kentucky.  With college students, greater attention is paid to their needs as absentee voters.

            Also during October, elementary, middle, and high school students can participate in the Kentucky Student Mock Election, a partner election of National Student/Parent Mock Election.  The mock election includes available lesson plans for Kentucky teachers.  This year’s election will take place on October 30, 2008.  Tens of thousands of students across Kentucky are expected to participate.

Kentuckians can also participate in the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) DebateWatch program, by hosting debate watching parties.  The parties allow for voters to better understand the positions taken by presidential candidates and encourages citizens to engage in dialogue with their respective communities about the important electoral decisions they will make in November.  The CPD has partnered with the National Association of Secretaries of State to bring greater attention to the debates during the 2008 election cycle.

             “Our hope is not only to spur interest in the upcoming election cycle, but to more fundamentally get Kentucky citizens engaged in their communities and government across the Commonwealth,” noted Grayson.  “Civics month is an easy avenue to get citizens involved.”

            CLIK is a multi-year effort that will determine a strategy for enhancing long-term civic engagement and civic literacy within the Commonwealth.  As part of that effort, CLIK released a report, Rediscovering Democracy: An Agenda for Action, that calls upon the state to take tangible steps to increase civic literacy.  The report, which details four principle recommendations and scores of additional recommendations, was developed from the work of the Kentucky Workgroup on Civic Literacy and the CLIK

            For more information about CLIK or to find out how to get your school, organization, or family involved in any civic activities taking place across Kentucky during the next month, please visit: www.civics.ky.gov.

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