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Kentucky’s Republican-dominated state Senate has handed a constitutional modification that may finish the state’s follow of electing its governor and different statewide officers in odd-numbered years. If authorized by the GOP-run state Home and in a voter referendum this fall, the winners of the following elections in 2027 would serve particular five-year phrases; subsequent elections beginning in 2032 would coincide with races for president, Congress, and the state legislature.
The Senate handed an identical proposal in each 2019 and once more in 2020 solely to see their Home counterparts not take it up both time. Nonetheless, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s reelection victory final fall might immediate Republicans to move it this time, though he’ll be term-limited in 2027. The Kentucky GOP has lengthy dominated in federal elections, significantly because the state nonetheless has a straight-ticket voting choice, so Republicans doubtless consider transferring state races to presidential years would profit them.
Nonetheless, it is a uncommon instance of Republicans making an attempt to achieve a bonus by increasing the voters as a substitute of making an attempt to suppress Democratic voters. That is as a result of Kentucky’s turnout in current presidential elections has typically been near double the turnout for gubernatorial races. As well as, presidential-year turnout nationwide is sort of at all times extra consultant of eligible voters total by together with a bigger proportion of younger voters, voters of coloration, and lower-income voters than in non-presidential elections.
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