With the end of the Kentucky General Assembly's 2008 regular session, the political focus of Kentuckians now turns to the primary election-and just in time! Kentuckians who wish to vote in the upcoming May 20, 2008 primary only have a few more days to register to vote.

The deadline to register for the upcoming May primary is Monday, April 21, 2008. County Clerks' offices throughout Kentucky will accept voter registration cards until the close of business that day.

A postmark of April 21st is also required for all mail-in voter registration applications. Registration cards can be obtained over the internet at www.vote.ky.gov/register.

"I encourage all citizens who have not already done so, to register to vote today," stated Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson. "We hope to see everyone exercising their constitutional right to vote on May 20th."

Also, minors who are 17 years old but will be 18 years old on or before the general election (November 4, 2008) are eligible to register and entitled to vote in the upcoming primary and runoff election but are not eligible to vote in special elections unless they are 18 years old.

Grayson also noted that existing state law that prevents voters from switching their party affiliation after the start of the new calendar year. Those voters will forfeit the ability to vote in either partisan primary. Other states allow voters to switch their party affiliation close to the primary. In Kentucky, if voters attempt to switch their party, they will actually lose some of their voting privileges, and Grayson is urging voters to pay particular attention to this issue.

Additionally, Secretary Grayson reminded voters that if they have moved recently, they need to update their voter registration so that they are allowed to vote on election day. In particular, if a voter has moved from one county to another prior to the voter registration books closing and he or she does not update his or her voter registration, that voter will not be allowed to vote in the primary election.

If citizens are unsure whether they have registered to vote or uncertain as to where they will vote, they can view all of that information online through the Voter Information Center (VIC). The VIC will tell voters where they are registered to vote, the location of their polling site, and their political affiliation. It also provides links to elected representatives and driving directions from the voter's home to his or her polling location. VIC can be accessed at www.vote.ky.gov/vic.

To obtain a list of county clerks and other voter registration sites in your area, contact the Kentucky State Board of Elections at (502) 573-7100 or via the web at www.elect.ky.gov.