UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 1599
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AN ACT proposing an amendment to Section 145 of the Constitution of Kentucky 1
relating to restoration of rights. 2
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 3
Section 1. Are you in favor of amending Section 145 of the Constitution of 4
Kentucky to automatically restore the voting rights of persons who have been convicted 5
of a felony not involving treason, bribery in an election, election fraud, a violent felony 6
offense, or a felony sexual offense, three years after the completion of any term of 7
imprisonment, probation, or parole, as stated below? 8
Section 2. It is proposed that Section 145 of the Constitution of Kentucky be 9
amended to read as follows: 10
(1) Every citizen of the United States of the age of eighteen years who has resided 11
in the state one year, and in the county six months, and the precinct in which he or she 12
offers to vote sixty days next preceding the election, shall be a voter in said precinct and 13
not elsewhere, but the following persons are excepted and shall not have the right to 14
vote:[.] 15
(a)[1.] Persons convicted in any court of competent jurisdiction of treason,[ or 16
felony, or] bribery in an election, election fraud, a violent felony offense, or a felony 17
sexual offense[or of such high misdemeanor as the General Assembly may declare shall 18
operate as an exclusion from the right of suffrage], but persons hereby excluded may be 19
restored to their civil rights by executive pardon. 20
(b)[2.] Persons convicted in any court of competent jurisdiction of a felony, 21
until three years after completion of any term of imprisonment, probation, or parole, 22
exclusive of restitution, fines, and any other court-ordered monetary conditions, unless 23
restored to their civil rights earlier by executive pardon. 24
(c) Persons who, at the time of the election, are in confinement under the 25
judgment of a court for some penal offense. 26
(d)[3.] Persons who have been determined by a court of competent 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 1599
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jurisdiction to be mentally incompetent and who have not retained their voting rights 1
or had those rights restored[Idiots and insane persons]. 2
Section 3. This amendment shall be submitted to the voters of the 3
Commonwealth for their ratification or rejection at the time and in the manner provided 4
for under Sections 256 and 257 of the Constitution, KRS 118.415, and Sections 4 and 5 5
of this Act. 6
Section 4. Notwithstanding any provision of KRS 118.415 to the contrary, the 7
Secretary of State shall cause the entirety of the question in Section 1 of this Act and the 8
entirety of the proposed amendment to the Constitution of Kentucky contained in Section 9
2 of this Act to be published at least one time in a newspaper of general circulation 10
published in this state, and shall also cause to be published at the same time and in the 11
same manner the fact that the amendment will be submitted to the voters for their 12
acceptance or rejection at the next regular election at which members of the General 13
Assembly are to be voted for. The publication required by this section and KRS 118.415 14
shall be made no later than the first Tuesday in August preceding the election at which 15
the amendment is to be voted on. 16
Section 5. Notwithstanding any provision of KRS 118.415 to the contrary, the 17
Secretary of State, not later than the second Monday after the second Tuesday in August 18
preceding the next regular election at which members of the General Assembly are to be 19
chosen in a year in which there is not an election for President and Vice President of the 20
United States, or not later than the Thursday after the first Tuesday in September 21
preceding a regular election in a year in which there is an election for President and Vice 22
President of the United States, shall certify the entirety of the question in Section 1 of this 23
Act and the entirety of the proposed amendment to the Constitution of Kentucky 24
contained in Section 2 of this Act to the county clerk of each county, and the county clerk 25
shall have the entirety of the question and the amendment, as so certified, indicated on 26
the ballots provided to the voters in paper or electronic form as applicable to the voting 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 24 RS BR 1599
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machines in use in each county or precinct. 1