Early Voting Starts Oct. 29. Our People Our Vote Wants Kentucky Voters to Have Help at the Polls.
With early voting set for Oct. 29-31, Our People Our Vote is working to make sure Kentucky voters have the help they need at the polls. Organizers call it the largest community-led nonpartisan Election Protection program in the state.
Our People Our Vote, founded in 2022 by Common Ground Kentucky, is a statewide civic engagement program with over 20 partners across the Commonwealth.
Partners of the program are trying to get people to the polls and provide nonpartisan voter education, according to Alicia Hurle, 46, co-executive director of Common Ground.
Alicia Hurle, co-executive director of Common Ground Kentucky. Photo courtesy of Alicia Hurle
“We really want voters to know that they can be here in Kentucky and they can be supported,” Hurle said. “It really is non-partisan information focused on supporting people to make the choices that they want in the ballot box.”
Education will be provided through door-to-door canvassing, phone calls, texts and postcards.
More nonpartisan education is available on the program’s website, where people can find information and answers about the voting process. A nonpartisan guide is available with candidate information, allowing voters to make informed decisions at the polls.
Hurle said it’s important for voters to check their voter registration and polling location, which can be found on the website.
Volunteers with the program aim to reach out to marginalized communities across the state, according to Hurle. Those include people of color, LGBTQ+ folks, new Americans who are eligible to vote, working-class Kentuckians and people with felony convictions who have had voting rights restored through Gov. Andy Beshear’s 2019 executive order. “Our goal is to focus on those folks that have been locked out of the process and who are not turning out at high rates,” Hurle said. “We really want to support them … we call it voter care.”
Our People Our Vote aims beyond voter registration. It also works to help people get to the polls so that they have a higher chance of voting. “We’re trying to change the electorate in Kentucky through this program,” Hurle said.
Local volunteers will be on the ground in certain polling places for people facing issues such as intimidation or suppression at the polls, and help will be available from the program’s office as well, Hurle said. She added that she loves seeing volunteers working with possible voters, and knowing that support can make a difference for people wanting to get involved. “One person, one vote at a time,” she said.
Volunteers are recruited by partner organizations in Common Ground’s coalition, Hurle said. These groups include the League of Women Voters of Kentucky, the Louisville Urban League, the New Americans Initiative and the Americana Community Center.
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Common Ground provides these groups with a list of voters to talk to, as well as digital tools. It also handles mailers so that organizations don’t have to use their own budget, according to Hurle.
“Once folks are plugged in, they’ll be invited to participate in community initiatives either connected to the legislative sessions or local campaigns,” Hurle said.
Hurle reminded voters that early voting is available to all Kentuckians, with polls open Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 29-31, before Election Day on Nov. 3. During early voting, hours and locations vary by county, and in counties that use vote centers, people can vote at any center instead of an assigned polling place.
“I’ve seen the power of folks getting involved in this way. Voting is the first step in a longer journey to get civically engaged,” Hurle said. “My entry point into this work was knowing that it was my duty to vote, but when I got deeper into the democratic process, I found there’s so many other ways to get involved.”
In recent years, Hurle said she has seen a change where more young and working-class voters have been going to the polls, and she finds joy and motivation in knowing that Our People Our Vote is changing Kentucky to be more representative of its population.
Hurle said there’s a lot of fear and confusion surrounding this election following changes from the federal government, which she thinks can be discouraging for potential voters.
“We’re really encouraging people to defend their vote this year, to show up and to make sure their vote is counted,” Hurle said. “This isn’t a time to shrink away from the process. It’s really a time to lean in.”
Disclosure: Queer Kentucky Executive Director Missy Spears serves as board co-president of Common Ground Kentucky, which founded and runs Our People Our Vote.
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