Kentucky students need encouragement to get to the polls. SB 80 creates barriers instead.
A new House Bill aims to narrow the number of valid forms of ID, and in the process it would restrict voter access among a generation with already low turnout. The State Board of Elections found that in 2023 Kentucky only had a 38.1% voter turnout rate for the general election. This means that well below half of registered voters actually showed up to the polls. The statistics grow even more alarming when voter turnout is broken down by age. Only 20.9% of registered voters aged 17-24, the primary age group SB 80 would effect, exercised their right to vote last year.
If our lawmakers want to make changes to the election system, shouldn’t they be focusing on civic engagement and increased representation across the commonwealth? Shouldn’t they be finding ways to increase access to polls and encourage more people, particularly students, to vote, rather than creating more hoops for voters to have to jump through?
Kentucky students need more encouragement to get to the polls, not less
The logic behind SB 80 is questionable. Current Kentucky law allows student IDs granted by US institutions of higher education containing the individual's name and photo to be used as voter identification. It is reasonable to believe that students must register in courses and prove their identity in order to obtain their student ID, in the same way they would in order to get a government issued ID. Student IDs would have no more potential to be fraudulent than a standard driver's license.
In conversation with the Courier Journal, bill sponsor Sen. Southworth admitted that she wasn’t aware of voter fraud via student IDs being an issue. This begs the question: Why are legislators wasting time solving problems that aren’t problems yet? There are many more pressing concerns students actually need legislators to solve, from taking action against climate change to investing in infrastructure following natural disasters, to developing equitable school funding policies.
SB 61 disenfranchises voters. There's no justifiable reason to end early voting in Kentucky.
This issue doesn’t seem to be purely partisan either, as Kentucky’s Republican Secretary of State opposes the bill, fearing that it will be struck down in court and that it would alienate young voters. Making voting more accessible to young people shouldn't be specific to a political party. It is important for all young people to be able to cast a ballot.
What message does this send to young voters?
As a young person who is both looking forward to soon being old enough to vote and is currently beginning my college search, I will consider how accepting a potential school and its state are to hearing my voice and that of my classmates. Ease of registration and voting will factor into that. Similarly, as we want to encourage Kentucky’s brightest to stay in this state and as we recruit hardworking youth from elsewhere to study and potentially relocate here long term, we need to think about the kinds of messages our legislators are sending to them. I am privileged enough to have a driver’s license I can use as identification when it comes time for me to vote, but I know many students do not have that same resource. These students have no less of a right to vote than I. They are just as invested in our community and in our legislature that makes decisions that impact our state's colleges and universities every year.
We need to remind our elected officials that the fraud they are trying to prevent is not the real issue. The lack of voter turnout is a cry for more policies aimed at encouraging engagement and improving access to elections, not limiting them. There are many more pressing concerns worthy of our legislature’s attention, and if we want to retain and attract engaged and participatory future leaders, we need to send those messages to young people now. Our democracy only functions if we protect fair and free elections, but SB 80 threatens them instead.
Isabella Edghill is a junior in DuPont Manual High School’s Journalism and Communication magnet. She is a student journalist with the Kentucky Student Voice Team and Manual RedEye, and is interested in covering legislation that impacts Kentucky’s students, bringing together her passions for advocacy and writing. She loves reading and exploring issues around diversity, identity, and empowerment. This article reflects the views and opinions of the author. This article does not necessarily represent the opinion of the organization.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: SB 80 narrows options for Kentucky students trying to cast a ballot
