LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- State lawmakers are considering bills to restore rights for people with felonies in their past, as well as expand polling hours, vote-by-mail options and same-day registration.

A virtual event Thursday by Kentuckians for the Commonwealth (KFTC) aims to keep people informed about the potential voting-related changes.

Bonifacio Aleman, a member KFTC's Jefferson County chapter, said he supports Gov. Beshear's 2019 decision to grant voting rights to more than 170,000 Kentuckians with past felony convictions.

But he believes the executive order didn't cast a wide enough net, and said the restoration process is inconsistent and vague.

"Once you submit your application, either by mail or email, there's no time limit on a decision on whether you'll get your voting rights restored or not," Aleman explained. "And so, some people get them restored, some people don't."

Sponsored by Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Louisville, House Bill 232 would restore the right to vote and serve on juries to nearly all people after they've served their time. The bill excludes people convicted of treason or voter fraud.

If it passes this session, Aleman confirmed the issue will be on the ballot for Kentuckians to consider next year.

Kentucky continues to rank fourth in the nation for its number of residents who are unable to vote.

Aleman pointed out voter disenfranchisement is part of a larger web of racial and socioeconomic inequities that tend to hurt Black and Brown communities.

"A few years ago, our numbers were trending in Kentucky upwards of 20-something percent of African Americans being disenfranchised from the vote due to a felony conviction," Aleman recounted.

He added pending legislation would make major strides in increasing voting access statewide.

House Bill 51 would extend polling hours from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. House Bill 72 would allow more people to use absentee ballots. And House Bill 182 would allow same-day voter registration.

It is the first day of early voting in Arizona and both presidential hopefuls will be making their cases to voters.

Gov. Tim Walz, DFL-Minn., the Democratic candidate for vice president, will attend events in the Phoenix area today, including a meeting with tribal leaders of the Gila River Indian Community before making his way to Tucson. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, DFL-Minn., the country's highest-ranking Native woman in executive office, said the Harris-Walz campaign knows the importance of Arizona's 11 electoral votes but also how decisive the Native vote can be.

"In 2020, we watched it come down to Arizona," Flanagan recounted. "I know how powerful the Native vote was in that election and I anticipate that the Native vote will turn up and turn out yet again."

Indigenous people account for about 6% of Arizona's population While Native voters have typically leaned Democratic, Republicans are also aiming to engage them.

Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, the GOP's vice presidential nominee, will hold a rally in Tucson today and early voters will begin casting their ballots in what's sizing up to be an extremely tight race.

Voters in precincts on the Navajo and Hopi reservations in northeastern Arizona cast about 60,000 ballots in 2020, compared to about 45,000 in 2016, according to The Associated Press. Flanagan called it "significant" and said she is encouraging all Arizonans to vote early.

"It's really powerful," Flanagan emphasized. "Turn up, you vote early and then, you can spend the rest of your time knocking on doors, calling people and having conversations with your friends and relatives about the power of their vote, especially in Arizona."

Vice President Kamala Harris is set to return to Arizona for the second time in two weeks, to speak at a campaign rally in Phoenix Thursday evening. Former President Donald Trump will also make his way back to the Grand Canyon State on Sunday for a rally in Prescott.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.


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A coalition of voting rights advocates in Nevada is voicing its opposition to Question 7 on this year's ballot, which would require Nevadans to present a government-issued photo ID before voting in person.

If passed, it would also require voters using mail-in ballots to list the last four digits of their driver's license or Social Security number, or a county clerk registered number. Supporters said it will help restore Nevadans' faith in the electoral process.

Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the ACLU of Nevada, countered elections are already safe, secure and fair, and thinks Question 7 is trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist.

"Stringent voter ID requirements nationwide have created a greater risk of voter suppression than they have of potentially addressing voter fraud, which is nonexistent," Haseebullah contended.

The Brennan Center for Justice found most reported incidents of voter fraud are "traceable to other sources, such as clerical errors." Proponents argued it is about ensuring only eligible individuals vote. If it passes in November, Question 7 would be placed on the 2026 General Election ballot for a final vote.

Kerry Durmick, Nevada state director for the group All Voting is Local Action, pointed out Nevada already has an efficient election system and there are already ID requirements in the voter registration process. Durmick called Question 7 a "modern-day poll tax."

"Obtaining an ID can actually cost a voter up to $100, through child care costs, transportation costs and ID costs," Durmick outlined. "The state would have to spend millions of dollars to avoid a modern-day poll tax."

In 2022, neighboring Arizona rejected a ballot measure, which would have required voters to include information like birth date and voter identification numbers when voting by mail. Critics of the proposal said it would have limited the ability of those who do not have a state, tribal or federal government-issued ID to present documents, like utility bills, to vote.

As the November elections approach, students at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington are taking action to remove voting barriers and boost turnout.

Their focus is on voter education and addressing key issues affecting students.

Jake Smith, president of the school's College Democrats, said one of the biggest challenges is helping students understand where and how to vote.

"You move around a lot as a college student," Smith observed. "You have several different addresses just in four years. A lot of people don't know that they can register on their college campus. They think that if they're registered in one part of the state that they can vote in any other part of the state, which is not true."

To address this, he pointed out they have been helping students register with their dorm address so they can have a stake in both the presidential and local elections. Since the start of the semester, the group has been actively registering students on campus, providing information on the registration process, voter ID requirements and polling locations.

Smith noted beyond logistics, key issues such as reproductive rights, climate change and affordability are driving students to the polls. He also voiced concerns about Project 2025, calling it a Republican agenda that could reverse progress on other issues that matter to young people.

"Project 2025 wants to take away free weather forecasting," Smith stressed. "I mean, for God's sake, if you're looking at a state like North Carolina that is so impacted by climate change and natural disasters, having something like that and not being able to even prepare for what might be coming is just completely catastrophic."

With the election less than 30 days away, Smith added the group is intensifying its efforts, not just registering voters but also informing them about what is on the ballot. Their goal is to ensure students understand how they can make an impact on both the national and local level.