AN ACT relating to persons entitled to vote.

UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 2257
Page 1 of 4
BR225700.100 - 2257 - XXXX 3/3/2026 4:49 PM Jacketed
AN ACT relating to persons entitled to vote. 1
WHEREAS, school boards exercise significant authority over policies that shape 2
the daily lives and academic futures of public school students; and 3
WHEREAS, permitting residents who are 16 and 17 years of age to vote in school 4
board elections, when approved by a local school board, encourages informed civic 5
participation while preserving local control; 6
NOW, THEREFORE, 7
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 8
Section 1. KRS 116.025 is amended to read as follows: 9
(1) Every person who is a citizen of the United States, a resident of this state, and a 10
resident of the precinct in which he or she offers to vote on or before the day 11
preceding the closing of the registration books for any primary, regular[general], or 12
special election, who possesses on the day of any election the qualifications set 13
forth in Section 145 of the Constitution, exclusive of the durational residency 14
requirements, who is not disqualified under that section or under any other statute, 15
and who is regi stered as provided in this chapter, may vote for all officers to be 16
elected by the people and on all public questions submitted for determination at that 17
election, in the precinct in which he or she is qualified to vote. Any person who 18
shall have been convicted of any election law offense which is a felony shall not be 19
permitted to vote until his or her civil rights have been restored by executive 20
pardon. 21
(2) Any person charged with or indicted for a crime, whether or not in custody for 22
same, who has not yet been convicted of the offense and who is not otherwise 23
ineligible to vote, may vote for all offices to be elected by the people and on all 24
public questions submitted for determination at that election, in the precinct in 25
which he or she is qualified to vote. 26
(3) A registered voter who changes his or her place of residence from one (1) precinct 27
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 2257
Page 2 of 4
BR225700.100 - 2257 - XXXX 3/3/2026 4:49 PM Jacketed
to another within the same county while the registration books ar e closed shall be 1
permitted to update the voting records and to vote in the present election at the 2
appropriate precinct for the current address as set forth in KRS 116.085(3). 3
(4) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, any registered voter who 4
changes his or her place of residence from one (1) precinct to another within the 5
same county prior to the closing of the registration books and who fails to transfer 6
his or her registration with the county clerk prior to the date the registration book s 7
are closed shall be permitted to vote in the present election at the appropriate 8
precinct for the current address as set forth in KRS 116.085(2). 9
(5) Any registered voter who changes his or her place of residence to a different county 10
while the registration books are closed shall be permitted to vote at the appropriate 11
precinct for his or her former residence in the present election and shall thereafter 12
transfer his or her voter registration. 13
(6) Any registered voter who changes his or her place of residence to a different county 14
and fails to register to vote in the county of current residence prior to the date the 15
registration books are closed shall not be eligible to vote in the present election in 16
the county of current residence or the county of former residence. 17
(7) Any registered voter who changes his or her place of registration to a different state 18
while the registration books are closed in the new state of residence before a 19
presidential election shall be permitted to cast an absentee ballot for Pre sident and 20
Vice President only, notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, by mail or at the 21
county clerk's office of the former residence or other place designated by the county 22
board of elections and approved by the State Board of Elections. 23
(8) A p erson who is sixteen (16) or seventeen (17) years of age on the date of the 24
election for which the person seeks to vote may vote only in elections for members 25
of a school board, upon adoption of a resolution by a majority of the members of 26
that district's school board delivered to the county clerk and State Board of 27
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 2257
Page 3 of 4
BR225700.100 - 2257 - XXXX 3/3/2026 4:49 PM Jacketed
Elections at least three hundred sixty -five (365) days prior to the regular election 1
in which expanded suffrage is to take effect, provided that the person: 2
(a) Is a resident of the school district in which the election is held; 3
(b) Meets the residency requirements otherwise applicable to voters under 4
Kentucky law; 5
(c) Is a citizen of the United States of America; 6
(d) Has registered in the manner described in KRS 116.045 and in accordance 7
with ad ministrative regulations promulgated by the State Board of 8
Elections; and 9
(e) Is not otherwise disqualified from voting pursuant to the Constitution of 10
Kentucky or applicable statutes. 11
SECTION 2. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHA PTER 116 IS CREATED TO 12
READ AS FOLLOWS: 13
(1) County clerks shall administer the registration and voting of persons sixteen (16) 14
and seventeen (17) years of age who are eligible under Section 1 of this Act using 15
existing polling locations, but may use separa te election procedures and 16
registration systems. 17
(2) Voters who are sixteen (16) and seventeen (17) years of age are to receive ballots 18
limited to school board contests. 19
(3) The State Board of Elections shall promulgate administrative regulations in 20
accordance with KRS Chapter 13A as necessary for the administration of this 21
section. These regulations are not limited to, but shall include: 22
(a) A registration form and a process to register persons sixteen (16) and 23
seventeen (17) years of age to vote only in s chool board elections, which 24
shall conform as nearly as possible to the equivalent form and process used 25
for all other eligible voters; 26
(b) A method to verify the identity of registered voters who are sixteen (16) and 27
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 2257
Page 4 of 4
BR225700.100 - 2257 - XXXX 3/3/2026 4:49 PM Jacketed
seventeen (17) years of age, which shall conform as nearly as possible to the 1
methods used for all other eligible voters under this chapter, and may 2
include a valid photo identification issued by a public or private secondary 3
school located within the Commonwealth; 4
(c) A design of ballots on w hich voters who are sixteen (16) and seventeen (17) 5
years of age may vote for school board members; and 6
(d) Implementation of the provisions of this section in a manner compatible 7
with the administration of all other elections conducted in this 8
Commonwealth. 9
Section 3. This Act shall apply to school board elections that occur on or after 10
January 1, 2028. 11