UNOFFICIAL COPY 22 RS BR 2310
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AN ACT proposing an amendment to Section 145 of the Constitution of Kentucky 1
relating to persons entitled to vote. 2
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 3
Section 1. Excluding persons who commit an offense that involves treason, 4
bribery in an election, or election fraud, are you in favor of amending Section 145 of the 5
Constitution of Kentucky to allow voting rights for persons convicted of felonies, unless 6
they are in confinement for a penal offense, as stated below? 7
Section 2. It is proposed that Section 145 of the Constitution of Kentucky be 8
amended to read as follows: 9
Every citizen of the United States of the age of eighteen years who has resided in 10
the state one year, and in the county six months, and the precinct in which he or she 11
offers to vote sixty days next preceding the election, shall be a voter in said precinct and 12
not elsewhere but the following persons are excepted and shall not have the right to 13
vote:[.] 14
1. Persons convicted in any court of competent jurisdiction of treason,[ or 15
felony,] or bribery in an election, or election fraud, unless previously restored to their 16
right to vote by executive pardon[of such high misdemeanor as the General Assembly 17
may declare shall operate as an exclusion from the right of suffrage, but persons hereby 18
excluded may be restored to their civil rights by executive pardon]. 19
2. Persons who, at the time of the election, are in confinement under the 20
judgment of a court for some penal offense. 21
3. Persons determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be mentally 22
incompetent to vote, when that judicial determination has not been set aside[Idiots and 23
insane persons]. 24
Section 3. This amendment shall be submitted to the voters of the 25
Commonwealth for their ratification or rejection at the time and in the manner provided 26
for under Sections 256 and 257 of the Constitution, KRS 118.415, and Sections 4 and 5 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 22 RS BR 2310
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of this Act. 1
Section 4. Notwithstanding any provision in KRS 118.415 to the contrary, the 2
Secretary of State shall cause the entirety of the question in Section 1 of this Act and the 3
entirety of the proposed amendment to the Constitution of Kentucky contained in Section 4
2 of this Act to be published at least one time in a newspaper of general circulation 5
published in this state, and shall also cause to be published at the same time and in the 6
same manner the fact that the amendment will be submitted to the voters for their 7
acceptance or rejection at the next regular election at which members of the General 8
Assembly are to be voted for. The publication required by this section and KRS 118.415 9
shall be made no later than the first Tuesday in August preceding the election at which the 10
amendment is to be voted on. 11
Section 5. Notwithstanding any provision in KRS 118.415 to the contrary, not 12
later than the second Monday after the second Tuesday in August preceding the next 13
regular election at which members of the General Assembly are to be chosen in a year in 14
which there is not an election for President and Vice President of the United States, or not 15
later than the Thursday after the first Tuesday in September preceding a regular election 16
in a year in which there is an election for President and Vice President of the United 17
States, the Secretary of State shall certify the entirety of the question in Section 1 of this 18
Act and the entirety of the proposed amendment to the Constitution of Kentucky 19
contained in Section 2 of this Act to the county clerk of each county, and the county clerk 20
shall have the entirety of the question and the amendment, as so certified, indicated on the 21
ballots provided to the voters in paper or electronic form as applicable to the voting 22
machines in use in each county or precinct. 23