The Queer Election Guide 2024 is a voter education toolkit created to help LGBTQ+ people understand ballots, local races, and civic power.

Queer Election Guide & Voting Toolkit

Voting shouldn’t feel inaccessible, confusing, or hostile—especially for queer and trans people living through a year of escalating political attacks.

The 2024 Queer Election Guide & Toolkit is a practical, plain-language resource built to help LGBTQ+ voters understand what’s on the ballot, why local elections matter, and how to take civic action with confidence. This guide centers queer lived experience, local power, and harm-reduction-style civic engagement—meet people where they are, give them the tools, and trust them to decide what comes next.

Whether you’re voting for the first time or just trying to keep up with another exhausting election cycle, this guide is here to make the process clearer and more human.

While the presidential race dominates our feeds, real power starts closer to home. City councils, school boards, county clerks, and state legislators shape the policies that touch our daily lives, from healthcare and housing to LGBTQ+ protections and education.

This guide was designed by Northern Kentucky graphic designer, activist, and failing plant mom Kara Henry (they/them) and written by award-winning civics journalist Olivia Krauth (she/her), proudly produced by Kentuckians for voters across city, county, and even state lines.

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What’s Inside the Queer Election Guide

This toolkit was created for queer voters who want information without condescension or party talking points. Inside, you’ll find:

• Plain-language explanations of how elections work at the local and state level

• Tools to understand ballots, offices, and down-ballot races

• Guidance on researching candidates and issues that impact LGBTQ+ communities

• Tips for voting safely, confidently, and on your own terms

• Civic engagement resources designed for queer and trans people—especially those who feel alienated from traditional politics

This is not an endorsement guide. It’s a queer voter education toolkit meant to support informed decision-making, not dictate outcomes.

Local elections shape the policies that most directly impact LGBTQ+ lives—from healthcare access and education to housing, policing, and public funding. But too often, queer voters are expected to navigate systems that were never built with us in mind.

Understanding your ballot is a form of self-defense—and community care.

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Who This Toolkit Is For

This guide is for:

• LGBTQ+ voters looking for clear, non-partisan election information

• Queer people voting in Kentucky and beyond

• First-time voters and longtime voters alike

• Anyone who wants to engage civically without being talked down to

If you’ve ever thought, “I want to vote, but I don’t know where to start,” this was made for you.

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How to Use This Election Toolkit

You can use this guide however it works best for you:

• Read it start-to-finish to build a foundation

• Pair it with other resources like Vote411.org

• Jump to the sections you need most

• Use it alongside your sample ballot

• Share it with friends, chosen family, or community groups

There’s no right way to participate—only informed ways.