For today’s Good Question, Pamela asks: What ID do you need if you are registering for the first time or if you have moved to a different county?
In Kentucky, unless the poll worker knows you, you need to show a photo id to vote. You don’t necessarily have to show one to register, but you will need that information.
How to register
Kentucky residents can register to vote — or update an existing registration — online through the Secretary of State’s office using a Kentucky driver’s license or Kentucky ID number. A Social Security number is also required.
Residents may also register by mailing in a Voter Registration Application. That form requires an attestation of U.S. citizenship and a Social Security number.
Eligibility requirements
To register to vote in Kentucky, a person must:
- Be a U.S. citizen and a Kentucky resident for at least 28 days before the election
- Be at least 18 years old by the next General Election
- Not be a convicted felon, or have had voting rights restored following a felony conviction
- Not have been judged mentally incompetent by a court of law with voting rights removed
- Not claim the right to vote outside Kentucky
Penalties for illegal registration
The mail-in Voter Registration Application includes a warning under KRS 119.025: any person who causes himself to be registered when he is not legally entitled to register shall be subject to penalties including fines and/or a term of imprisonment of not less than one year and not more than five years.
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