KY county clerks say state mapping prompted local questions about voting, taxes and more

Yates, a former Democratic state senator, told the State Government Committee a 2022 law to centralize a state mapping system may not reflect what’s happening at the local level. Yates said in some cases where a person resides on a county line, they may pay taxes in one county but vote in another. 

“We have a discrepancy,” Yates said. “Now, the lines didn’t change; the technology got better to lay it out there.”

In response to questions, Yates said his office’s review flagged 290 new voters in Jefferson County and about 35 voters who need to vote in another county. 

The situation isn’t only affecting Jefferson County. Rep. James Tipton, R-Taylorsville, said he recalled that about 200 constituents told him ahead of the 2024 primary they received notice they no longer resided in Spencer County and had to vote in neighboring Shelby County. The matter “caused a lot of confusion” and some voters ultimately didn’t vote because of it, Tipton added. It also raised questions about where school buses should go and which first responder departments served those residents. 

“There’s a lot more issues than just voting is what I’m trying to point out here,” Tipton said. 

Franklin County Clerk Jeff Hancock, who joined Yates for the presentation, said the Voter Registration System (VRS) and the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) “needs to be interactive” and able to “keep up with the changes of today’s pace.” He added that there is no federal or local money to make the changes. 

“This is going to have to be funded from the honorable gentlemen and ladies that are sitting right in front of me, and it needs to be done,” Hancock said, referring to the lawmakers. “You have a rainy day account, we all need some umbrellas at this point.” 

The rainy day fund, which is also known as the budget reserve trust fund account, is based on the state’s previous revenues. 

Constitution in schools

The committee also heard a presentation from Joni Bryan, the founder and executive director of The 917 Society, about a request to designate the group as an “official resource” for education materials for Constitution Day, which is Sept. 17. The 917 Society distributes copies of the U.S. Constitution to students around the country. Bryan said some distribution already happens in a few Kentucky schools. 

While Bryan said The 917 Society is nonpartisan and works with a variety of groups, she listed some conservative groups like Moms for Liberty and Hillsdale College, which was on the advisory board for Project 2025. That was created as a guiding document for the Trump administration leading up to the 2024 presidential election.

“We don’t tell teachers what to teach,” Bryan said. We give them the book for the kids, and then they can decide what they want to do.” 

Democrats on the committee expressed skepticism. 

“As much as I want to see our kids understanding all of the civic education, getting them involved in our government, and understanding how it all works — just because something is free doesn’t always mean that it’s without side costs,” said Rep. Anne Gay Donworth, D-Lexington. 

Rep. T.J. Roberts, R-Burlington, said the back of one of the materials Bryan brought to the committee included quotes from President John F. Kennedy and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 

“This doesn’t seem to be a partisan organization,” Roberts said. “This seems to be a no-tax resource for our schools to fulfill our federal obligation to educate our students on the Constitution.”