SB 10 aims to change election years to coincide with federal elections

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) — Would having Kentucky’s statewide elections the same year as federal elections help with voter turnout?

Senator Christian McDaniel has introduced Senate Bill 10, during this session.

It’s an effort that Sen McDaniel says has taken a decade of work.

“It saves the commonwealth, a couple of million dollars, it saves the counties close to $15 million,” he adds.

But patience is a virtue, on Wednesday the bill clearing a major hurdle passing the 2024 Legislative Session’s first Senate State and Local Government Committee.

“We look forward to getting it off the floor of the Senate,” says Sen. McDaniel.

The bill now heads to the full Senate.

“Hopefully next week and over to the house and then that’s where, the, the major legislative work begins and, ideally we get it out of both chambers here and can put it in front of the voters and let them ultimately decide if that’s how they want to advance it,” he says.

McDaniel believes this will bring better voter turnout, “when you have federal elections on the ballot, more people pay attention. I mean, we see it played out time and time and time again at the ballot box with voter participation.”

It’s not just voter turnout local governments would save big. The Legislative Research Commission finding the savings could be nearly $14million. But if the bill passes voters will have to wait three years before the big change even happens.

“Constitutional elections would move into even numbered years. The mechanics of that are in 2027 we would have a regular election. But then those people would serve five year terms and the next election would be in 2032. And after that, it would be every four years just like it is now,” said McDaniel.

To be adopted, the amendment would need to garner majority support among voters on the next general election ballot.