UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 1309
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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. Are you in favor of restoring the right to vote to persons convicted of 4
a felony who have completed their probation or final discharge from parole or their 5
maximum expiration of sentence, if such persons were not convicted of a felony 6
involving as an element of the offense: the intentional killing of a human being not done 7
under the influence of extreme emotional disturbance for which there was a reasonable 8
explanation or excuse; sexual contact with a minor; sexual intercourse; or deviate sexual 9
intercourse, by amending the Constitution of Kentucky as stated below? 10
Section 2. It is proposed that Section 145 of the Constitution of Kentucky be 11
amended to read as follows: 12
Every citizen of the United States of the age of eighteen years who has resided in 13
the state one year, and in the county six months, and the precinct in which he offers to 14
vote sixty days next preceding the election, shall be a voter in said precinct and not 15
elsewhere, but the following persons are excepted and shall not have the right to vote:[.] 16
1. Persons convicted in any court of competent jurisdiction of treason, or of any 17
felony that includes, as an element of the offense, the intentional killing of a human 18
being not done under the influence of extreme emotional disturbance for which there 19
was a reasonable explanation or excuse, sexual contact with a minor, sexual 20
intercourse, or deviate sexual intercourse, or of bribery in an election, or of such high 21
misdemeanor as the General Assembly may declare shall operate as an exclusion from 22
the right of suffrage, but persons hereby excluded may be restored to their civil rights by 23
executive pardon. Persons convicted in any court of competent jurisdiction of any other 24
felony shall be excluded from the right of suffrage until expiration of probation or 25
final discharge from parole or maximum expiration of sentence, unless restored to 26
their civil rights earlier by executive pardon; and 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 1309
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2. Persons who, at the time of the election, are in confinement under the 1
judgment of a court for some penal offense. 2
[3. Idiots and insane persons.] 3
Section 3. This amendment shall be submitted to the voters of the 4
Commonwealth for their ratification or rejection at the time and in the manner provided 5
for under Sections 256 and 257 of the Constitution, KRS 118.415, and Sections 4 and 5 6
of this Act. 7
Section 4. Notwithstanding any language in KRS 118.415 to the contrary, the 8
Secretary of State shall cause the entirety of the question in Section 1 of this Act and the 9
entirety of the proposed amendment to the Constitution of Kentucky contained in Section 10
2 of this Act to be published at least one time in a newspaper of general circulation 11
published in this state, and shall also cause to be published at the same time and in the 12
same manner the fact that the amendment will be submitted to the voters for their 13
acceptance or rejection at the next regular election at which members of the General 14
Assembly are to be voted for. The publication required by this section and KRS 118.415 15
shall be made no later than the first Tuesday in August preceding the election at which 16
the amendment is to be voted on. 17
Section 5. Notwithstanding any language in KRS 118.415 to the contrary, the 18
Secretary of State, not later than the second Monday after the second Tuesday in August 19
preceding the next regular election at which members of the General Assembly are to be 20
chosen in a year in which there is not an election for President and Vice President of the 21
United States, or not later than the Thursday after the first Tuesday in September 22
preceding a regular election in a year in which there is an election for President and Vice 23
President of the United States, shall certify the entirety of the question in Section 1 of this 24
Act and the entirety of the proposed amendment to the Constitution of Kentucky 25
contained in Section 2 of this Act to the county clerk of each county, and the county clerk 26
shall have the entirety of the question and the amendment, as so certified, indicated on 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 1309
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the ballots provided to the voters in paper or electronic form as applicable to the voting 1
machines in use in each county or precinct. 2