More Kentuckians are registered to vote than ever before in Kentucky, according to figures released by Secretary of State Trey Grayson and the Kentucky State Board of Elections. In total, 2,906,809 citizens will appear on Kentucky’s voter rolls for the November 4, 2008 general election. This figure eclipses the previous record, set for the 2008 primary election, which totaled 2,857,231. There were 2,840,898 registered to vote in the 2007 general election and 2,794,286 in the 2004 general election, the most recent comparable election cycle.

“These figures are indicative of the diligent work of the State Board of Elections and County Clerks to ensure a fair and honest election while maximizing the number of registered voters in the Commonwealth. Because of their efforts, Kentucky has one of the best voter registration databases in the country,” stated Secretary of State Trey Grayson. “These healthy registration figures are an indication of a potentially strong turnout on election day.”

The registration totals are a net increase of 49,578 voters from those who were registered to vote in the 2008 primary election, increasing the voter rolls by 1.74%. In comparison, voter registration figures increased by a net of 45,885, or 1.64%, from the 2007 primary election to the 2007 general election.

Registration figures continued to show little change in the percentage of male and female voters with females representing nearly 53% of the registration population and males representing 47%.

In terms of party registration, Democrats, Republicans, and “others” increased their number of registered voters by 1.98%, 1.29%, and 2.09% since May of 2008, respectively. Democrats increased their voters by 32,248 to 1,662,093. Republicans increased their voters by 13,433 to 1,053,871. “Others” increased their voters by 3,897 to 190,845.

Democrats and “Others” increased their percentages of the Kentucky voter rolls as they now comprise 57.18% and 6.57% of Kentucky voters, respectively. That is an increase of 0.14% and 0.03% since the 2008 primary election, respectively. Republicans saw their percentage decrease 0.15% from the 2008 primary election to 36.26% for the upcoming election.

Compared to the 2004 general election registration figures, there has been a net increase of 112,523 in total voters, or 4.03%; 46,744 in Democratic voters, or 2.89%; 57,208 in Republican voters, or 5.74%; and 8,571 “Other” voters, or 4.70%. Democrats, Republicans, and “Others” represented 57.81%, 35.67%, and 6.52% of the electorate in November of 2004, respectively. Since November of 2004, the percentage of the electorate has changed -0.63% for Democrats, 0.59% for Republicans, and 0.05% for “Others” as compared to current percentages of Kentucky registered voters.

The large net increase in total voters includes the removal of nearly 28,000 deceased voters from the voter rolls in late September. The State Board of Elections received the Master Death File from the National Technical Information Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, which maintains the file for the Social Security Administration. The file, commonly used by states around the country to determine deceased voters, includes the 82 million Americans who have passed away since the inception of the Social Security Administration. These figures are on top of the bi-monthly reports that the State Board receives from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

“We must do all that we can to maintain accurate voter rolls. As evidenced in recent convictions, Kentucky has a long history of voter fraud. By removing deceased voters from the rolls, we are eliminating yet another avenue for potential fraud,” remarked Grayson.

Secretary Grayson noted that the election’s focus now shifts to getting people to the polls on Election Day. “Now that the registration books are closed, we must work diligently to see that every registered Kentuckian votes in the November 4, 2008 general election.”

Grayson encouraged citizens to utilize the Voter Information Center (VIC) on the State Board of Election’s website to confirm their voter registration and to locate their polling place. The site includes driving directions from the voter’s address to the polling location. For complete registration statistics and additional election information or to access the VIC, please visit www.elect.ky.gov.