All year, KFTC’s non-partisan Voter Empowerment campaign has had a tremendous presence and impact all across the Commonwealth, but this has been especially true in the last two months leading to the General Election on November 6^th.

Our fingerprint was everywhere – from Northern Kentucky to Western Kentucky, Central Kentucky, Louisville, and many area in Eastern Kentucky.  This campaign may have seen more quality ground work in communities spread all across the state than anything KFTC has taken on since the Broad Form Deed campaign in 1988. 

Everywhere we went, we registered voters, talked to people about issues that are important to them, and provided non-partisan information about where candidates stood on issues.  In many ways, that’s a simple concept for a campaign, but the effect it’s had on our Democracy seems to be huge. 

Members in Bowling Green staked spaces at a local coffee shop and a local grocery store and turned their homes into GOTV (Get Out The Vote) centers.  They spoke with voters they'd met in door-to-door walks, on WKU's campus, on the community college's campus, and even at the local grocery store.  They turned out voters, coordinated rides to the polls, and made sure that people had everything they needed to get out and vote.

In response to a great Springfield visit days before the election by KFTC members and former felon spokesperson Tayna Fogle, Deacon Gus Cooper said, "Tayna Fogle primed Springfield to vote by talking with people about her own experiences with getting her voter rights restored.  I know she moved people, and I know that because she was here, and because she talked about her own struggles and how important it's been for her to vote, people who probably don't usually vote, voted on Tuesday."

In Central Kentucky, members registered close to 1,000 voters at dozens of community events, then called thousands of fellow KFTC members, voters we’ve registered and people who’ve signed petitions to remind them to vote and help eliminate obstacles that might prevent them from voting. 

On Election Day itself, 25-30 Central Kentucky members helped connect people with 40 rides to the polls, passed out election information at local grocery stores, campuses, and in downtown Lexington, and even ran a Sound Car around town to remind people to vote through a large speaker system. 

University of Kentucky students played an especially strong role this year, leading a voter registration and mobilization effort on campus with tabling after tabling, but also special fun events such as the Concert For The Commonwealth that brought many students out to learn about issues and the election in a way that was a lot of fun.  “It’s just incredible what we’ve managed to accomplish this year,” UK KFTC Co-Coordinator Matt Harmin remarked at a KFTC Election Returns party late on Election Day. “It’s empowering and exciting to imagine what we can do next year.”

Northern Kentucky Voter Mobilization work focused on raising awareness of Restoration of Voting Rights for Former Felons.  We got hundreds of people to sign postcards to restore voting rights, then contacted those same people again, asking them to use their right to vote if they had it.  It seemed to be an especially strong way to connect with voters there.

Eastern Kentucky chapters also made a big difference in their communities.  In Harlan and Perry counties, for example, we had phone banks and Election Day events like passing out voter guides at the Catholic Church food pantry, Southeast Community College, and even sent some along with chicken dinner deliveries as part of a local social club. 

"I really enjoyed making phone calls because I feel like it made a difference, especially with the people who weren't sure where to vote  or if they were going to vote; they really didn't know who to contact… Too many people don't vote.  We lose our voice when people do that.  I'm afraid  if
more people don't exercise their right to vote, we'll lose it,”  said Theresa Banks, new member from Harlan County.

We contacted hundreds of Eastern Kentuckians who signed our petitions through outreach at the community colleges, the local high schools, local festivals, and door-to-door conversations in low-income housing developments.

"I thought it was fun.  It was fun to call people and learn about  getting to vote since I'm not old enough yet.  I got to pass out voter guides to people and learn about why people vote and how they decide who to vote for," said Deven Nantz, an 8^th grader and new Harlan County KFTC member who joined KFTC on Election Day

In Louisville and Madison County work also was intense with community events, voter mobilization calls, and great ground work. 

One especially strong resource provided by KFTC across the state in this Election was our Voter Guide.  We asked all 12 candidates running for statewide office to answer a series of questions on their stances, then published 10,000 copies of those answers, along with other useful information and distributed this far and wide. 

KFTC also made a lot of contacts through email and other electronic means, sending voter mobilization and education emails to more than 10,000 recipients encouraging them to visit our election web site,  www.KentuckyElection.org. Also, through Facebook, 2,000 KFTC supporters pledged to vote on Election Day.

Looking ahead to the 2008 Election, when there will be a Presidential election, Mitch McConnell’s US Senate seat will be up, and there will be many Kentucky legislative races across the state, KFTC members are evaluating what we did well and what can be done better in our Voter Empowerment work.  We plan on building a larger and larger critical base of informed and motivated voters year after year to have a greater and greater fundamental impact on how Elections are won.  Next year will be an important year for this campaign and KFTC members are looking forward to the challenge.