registration

Kentucky's voter registration rolls have increased by almost 50,000 voters since the May 20 primary, leading to a total number of registered voters setting another record high in the state, according to the Secretary of State's office.

2,906,809 Kentuckians are now registered to vote in time for the Nov. 4 general election. The addition of 49,578 accounts for a 1.74 percent increase in the books since May 20.

Among the new registrants, 32,248 are registered as Democrats, 13,433 as Republicans, and 3,897 as "other." Those hikes mean that Democrats boosted their rolls by 0.14 percent since May 20, to account for 57.18 percent of the electorate. Republicans added to their raw total, but saw the percentage of the electorate they comprise shrink slightly since the primary, dipping  0.15 percent.

Unregistered Kentuckians wishing to vote in November's general election have just one week to get their registration forms to their local county clerk's office. Oct. 6 is the final day to register to vote for the Nov. 4 election.

"I encourage all citizens who have not already done so, to register to vote today," said Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R-Richwood) in a statement today. "We hope to see everyone exercising their constitutional right to vote on November 4, 2008."

Registration forms can be submitted or mailed to the office of a voter's local county clerk, but they must be postmarked or submitted by Oct. 6.

More information about registration can be found on the Secretary of State's website.

Across the country, registration booms are being reported in the run up the election. From May to Aug. 15 in Kentucky, 21,370 new Democrats registered while Republicans grew their ranks by 5,354.