FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 28, 2016) - Kentucky has a record number of voters on its rolls, Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes announced today. The new record comes off the heels of a statewide voter registration drive she recently conducted - the largest of its kind in more than a decade. The total number of registered voters for the May 17 Primary Election is 3,243,078. The number represents an increase of 42,608 new voters since the November 2015 General Election. "We made history launching online voter registration and conducting the largest statewide voter registration effort in the Commonwealth in the past decade," said Grimes. Nearly 6,000 Kentuckians registered to vote online for the first time after Grimes launched the online voter registration portal at GoVoteKY.com<govoteky.com> last month. "Kentuckians responded with overwhelming enthusiasm, preferring online voter registration to the paper process," said Grimes. "Now, we must begin the work of getting every voter to the polls on May 17." Both the Democratic and Republican Parties saw an increase in registered voters since last year's election. Democrats currently make up approximately 52 percent of the electorate. 40 percent of voters are Republican. And 8 percent of voters are identified as "other." In five of Kentucky's six Congressional Districts, there are more Democrats registered than Republicans or another affiliation. Republicans hold a registration advantage in the Fourth Congressional District after attaining a plurality of voters last fall for the first time since at least 1999. Women make up approximately 53 percent of Kentucky's electorate; 47 percent are men. Complete registration statistics are available on the State Board of Elections website, elect.ky.gov. Grimes urges Kentucky voters to visit GoVoteKY.com<govoteky.com>, the state's new one-stop elections portal, which she unveiled last month with online voter registration. In addition to registration, voters may confirm their voter registration status, view sample ballots, and locate their polling place. BACKGROUND: * Online voter registration starts in Kentucky<http://www.wkyt.com/content/news/Online-voter-registration-starts-in-Kentucky-372080182.html> [AP, 3/15/2016] * Alison Lundergan Grimes Travels Kentucky To Talk Online Voter Registration<http://www.wbko.com/content/news/Alison-Lundergan-Grimes-Travels-Kentucky-To-Talk-Online-Voter-Registration-374988461.html> [WBKO, 4/7/2016] * Voter registration, so easy you never have to leave home<http://wkuherald.com/life/voter-registration-so-easy-you-never-have-to-leave-home/article_c0d267c0-fc4c-11e5-a068-5b5215f03e14.html> [The College Heights Herald, 4/7/2016] * GoVoteKY.com brings registration into digital age<http://www.maysville-online.com/news/local/govoteky-com-brings-registration-into-digital-age/article_ea856696-77ae-5da1-a138-dc196db1aaa2.html> [Maysville Ledger-Independent, 3/23/2016]
