Responsive Gov’s Grade TL;DR

The Kentucky General Assembly imposed an additional restriction on voting rights this past year by removing several previously acceptable voter ID options. The Assembly also passed legislation to create a special unit to investigate potential election crimes within the Office of the Attorney General. In some states, these units have been used to target election officials that make mistakes. We are optimistic that won’t be the case here. Therefore, Kentucky received a B- on this year’s progress report.

Looking Back

Where Kentucky Started at the Beginning of 2025

• Automatic Voter Registration: No
• Online Voter Registration: Open to all Eligible
• Same-Day Registration: No
• Restoration of Rights: Some permanent disenfranchisement
• Vote by Mail: Excuse-Only
• Electronic Registration Information Center Member: Yes
• Early Voting Opportunities: Yes
• ID Requirements: ID Requested, but not Required

Relying on the Cost of Voting Index for Kentucky as of 2024, we considered the state a bottom tier state for pre-existing voting policy and compared its 2025 activity against other bottom tier states.

How Our Tier Compares

• COVI (2024): 37th
• EPI Score (2022): 37th

2025: This Past Year

Legislative Action

The Kentucky General Assembly enacted new restrictive election laws this past session.

• HB 684 removed credit and debit cards from the list of acceptable alternative voter ID options. However, the bill also would have allowed certain caregivers of voters that qualify to vote excused in-person absentee to also themselves vote excused in-person absentee.
• HB 455 creates the Unit of Election Investigations and Security within the attorney general’s office to investigate potential election law violations. In other states, these units have been used to go after people who make honest mistakes rather than real bad actors. They have often been the source of misinformation and operated with a lack of transparency. We hope Kentucky’s unit avoids those pitfalls to increase election integrity.

Executive Action

• Governor Beshear attempted to veto HB 684, which removed several items from the accepted list of supporting voter ID documents. However, the Legislature overrode his veto.