Kentucky currently bars more than 158,000 residents from voting.
Most of those affected have prior felony convictions, and despite a 2019 executive order from Gov. Andy Beshear that restored voting rights to some Kentuckians with past felonies, the Commonwealth still denies voting access to more former felons than nearly any other state.
Debra Graner, a voting rights advocate with Kentuckians for the Commonwealth and the Kentucky League of Women Voters, said people reentering society have already served their sentences and deserve the chance to take part in civic life.
“This is about second chances and trying to feel whole and be a good citizen again,” Graner said. “Voting is one of our rights. To disenfranchise people, it’s just a hurtful thing.”
Some Kentucky lawmakers have announced plans to sponsor legislation in 2026 that would place a constitutional amendment on the ballot, allowing voters to decide whether to restore voting rights to people with certain felony convictions. According to the Sentencing Project, Kentucky’s ban on voting for people on felony probation or parole, as well as those who have completed their sentences, significantly contributes to the state’s high disenfranchisement numbers.
While Graner supports giving voters a say through a constitutional amendment, she expressed concern that the public may not fully understand how deeply disenfranchisement impacts communities.
“A lot of people are going to automatically go, ‘No, why would I want a criminal to vote?’” Graner said. “That’s the big thrust for me, getting the public to understand the situation that we’re in.”
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