For the 10th consecutive year, Kentucky’s electric cooperatives are partnering with the Secretary of State’s office on Co-ops Vote, a non-partisan initiative to boost voter registration and turnout, especially in rural parts of the state.
“The race for the 2026 elections is already underway, including for a U.S. Senate seat that hasn't been open since 1972,” said Secretary of State Michael Adams, during the kick-off of Co-ops Vote at the State Capitol. “As politically red areas in the commonwealth get redder and blue areas get bluer, party primaries matter more than ever. Yet only 10 to 15 percent of registered voters participate in the primaries. We strongly encourage rural voters to take advantage of recent improvements to the election process and to be heard in the next election.”
There will be no primary or general in Kentucky during 2025, although some special elections may be held.
“Following the launch of Co-ops Vote in 2016, we’ve seen voter turnout in our rural communities go up,” Adams pointed out. “In previous presidential elections, we saw rural turnout below the statewide average. In the 2024 general election, rural turnout was above the statewide average of 59 percent. Here are some examples: Anderson County, 69 percent; Carlisle, Green, McLean, and Spencer counties, 68 percent; Bullitt, Hancock, Livingston, Marshall and Washington counties, 67 percent. And the list goes on.”
Despite population increases in Kentucky, voter registration and primary election participation have dropped since 2020, making the Coops Vote initiative even more important. Republican registration has decreased by 5.7 percent, Democratic registration has decreased by 6.8 percent, and registration among other political affiliations has dropped by 7.61 percent.
The Co-ops Vote initiative connects voters with their elected officials and reminds them of registration and ballot deadlines. By leveraging their social media following and Kentucky Living, the flagship publication of Kentucky’s electric cooperatives, co-ops spread the word about the importance of civic engagement. As a public service, co-ops provided the 2025 Kentucky Electric Cooperatives Legislative Guide in each of the more than 500,000 copies of the February magazine mailed to co-op subscribers across the state.
Kentuckians can connect with elected leaders and candidates and stay informed on issues facing rural Kentucky on RuralPowerKY.com, a grassroots portal that links to Co-ops Vote resources.
