Gov. Andy Beshear just took office in Kentucky, and he has already restored voting rights to 140,000 of the state’s residents.
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The news:
Big news for democracy: KY Gov Andy Beshear just restored voting rights for 140,000 people. This is why voting matters https://t.co/riYtwwG25s
— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) December 12, 2019
One of the most immediate impacts of any gubernatorial election happens on voting rights. If Republican Matt Bevin had won the election in Kentucky, hundreds of thousands of people would not have their right to vote back.
The phrase elections have consequences is a cliche, but it is also a fact, and if Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would lose his seat in a close 2020 election, it could be because more people were able to vote for the candidate of their choice.
There is no guarantee that the people who had their voting rights restored will vote for Democrats, a bigger electorate is better for democracy. Republicans have spent decades trying to make it more difficult for people to vote, so actions like Gov. Beshear’s are the first step in handing democracy back to the people.
Democratic governors will make it more difficult for Trump and his party to keep voters away from the polls. Democrats are walking the walk and making sure that as many Americans as possible can exercise their right to vote.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
