Secretary Calls for Legislation to Allow Students to Pre-Register to Vote & Serve on Election Day
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Dec. 5, 2018) – In a ceremony the first of its kind, Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes and bipartisan former Kentucky secretaries of state on Wednesday gathered to recognize hundreds of the Commonwealth's longest serving poll workers at the State Capitol.
"Our Commonwealth's elections would absolutely not be possible without the dedication of thousands of precinct election officers every Election Day," Grimes said. "Today, we recognize the very tangible service they provide to Kentucky, and I join my predecessors in saying, heartily, 'Thank you!'"
Dozens of Kentuckians were honored at the ceremony for having served more than 25 years as a poll worker, including Elizabeth Neal of Powell County. Neal has served on Election Day since the 1950s.
"Elizabeth Neal has helped run a precinct in her county since 1955 – nearly 64 years. She represents the kind of zeal for civic engagement we dream of and aspire to, and I hope there are many more Elizabeth Neals here today or signing up to serve," said Grimes.
"We stand on your shoulders and it's because of your dedication that we have quality elections in Kentucky," former Secretary of State Elaine Walker told the poll workers who gathered at the ceremony.
Grimes acknowledged that Kentucky has not been spared from the nationwide trend of poll worker shortages. Many counties in Kentucky have reported trouble recruiting people to run precincts on Election Day. Grimes in recent elections has made statewide calls for Kentuckians to serve as poll workers to overcome the shortage.
"As our more senior poll workers begin to retire, we are finding fewer and fewer people able or willing to step up and take their place. And without qualified precinct officials, we will not be able to provide the great experience Kentuckians are used to when they go vote."
In response to the statewide shortage, Grimes announced she will ask the General Assembly to allow 16-year-olds to pre-register to vote and to serve as precinct election officials.
"So many of the young people I meet every day are inspired to serve their communities, and they are anxious to exercise their right to vote. I know we can use their energy and enthusiasm by inviting them to help run our elections, sparking a lifetime of civic engagement. In 2019, I am calling for legislation to allow Kentucky's 16-year-olds to pre-register to vote and serve as poll workers on Election Day."
More than half the states allow students who are 16- or 17-years-old to serve as poll workers, according to the Election Assistance Commission.
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