Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear made a move against current trends on Wednesday (April 7) after signing a voting expansion bill into law. Contrary to other red states around the country, Kentucky’s new voting law makes voting easier for citizens of the Bluegrass State.
Under the law, the state will have three days of early voting, establish an online portal for voter registration and ballot applications, and widen options for in-person voting. According to a report by The Hill, the law will also provide voters access to correct issues on their ballots. The
The legislation marks a stark contrast to the hundreds of voting bills being proposed in nearly every state, much like Georgia’s voting restriction law signed by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp last month.
“When much of the country has put in more restrictive laws, Kentucky legislators, Kentucky leaders were able to come together to stand up for democracy and to expand the opportunity for people to vote,” Beshear said at the signing ceremony.
dKentucky lawmakers on both sides of the aisle supported the legislation, which Gov. Beshear highlighted at the signing. Georgia’s law has sparked outrages from leaders and activists for its restrictions that advocates say will to Black, Latino, and low income voters. President Georgia’s law has sparked outrage from leaders and activists for its restrictions that advocates say will disproportionately create barriers to Black, Latino, and low income voters. Joe Biden dubbed the law “Jim Crow 2.0.”
“Last year, Gov. Beshear and I worked across party lines to accommodate our elections process to the pandemic, and that resulted in the most secure and successful election Kentucky has ever had,” Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams, a Republican, said in a statement.
Beshear is a Democrat who took over the governor’s seat from a Republican in 2019. He’s up for reelection in 2023.
Photo Credit: Getty Images