As the voter registration deadline for Kentucky’s primary election approaches on Monday, April 18, the Kentucky Democracy Project has planned a series of events called “Northern Kentucky Loves Democracy.”
The events aim at helping people know about the upcoming election, make sure they are registered to vote, and help answer questions about who will be on their ballot.
The event kicks off with a voter registration pub crawl in Newport, beginning at 7 p.m. at Wooden Cask Brewing at 633 York Street. Volunteers will be trained in voter registration, split into teams, and visit Diamond Debbie’s, West Sixth BoxPark at the Levee, Coaches Corner, and Jerry’s Jug House. The crawl will conclude at The Crazy Fox Saloon at 901 Washington Avenue, with volunteers arriving around 11.
“The right to vote is the power of the people, and so we are going to where the people are,” said Reverend Tracy Siegman of Covington. “It’s how we have an impact on our democracy. This is a great way to meet people in our community, raise awareness about the elections this year, get people involved in our democracy, and a great chance to have fun.”
Volunteers will also be registering voters at the Covington Farmers Market from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Roebling Point on Friday morning to kick off the 2nd day of events.
Then from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m., they are hosting a Newport City Commission Candidate Meet and Greet at Roebling Books and Coffee at 601 Overton Street in Newport. Here, residents will be able to ask candidates for Newport City Commission questions about the issues they care about in an informal, relaxed setting.
“I’m really looking forward to this event,” said Newport resident Kyle Randall. “We have a seriously contested race, where we’re going to see a minimum of two new faces on the board. Flyers, mailings, websites, and Facebook pages don’t always cover the topics that you care about, so it’s essential for voters to have opportunities like this to bring their concerns forward to get a better sense of what their options are.”
On Sunday, they are hosting a voter registration friend bank, where volunteers can reach out to friends about voter registration, discuss the local election, and think about the next steps for making sure that everyone is familiar with Kentucky voting laws.
Anyone looking to volunteer can sign up or learn more information about the events at bit.ly/NKY-LovesDemocracy