Photo courtesy of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives.
STAFF REPORT
Glasgow News 1
Co-ops Vote, a nonpartisan initiative of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives, is once again focusing on turning out rural voters and helping young Kentuckians get involved in the democratic process.
The 2026 Co-ops Vote effort launched Thursday with the support of Secretary of State Michael Adams and nearly 90 high school juniors representing electric cooperatives from across the state, including Farmers RECC that provides power to people in Barren County.
Now in its 11th year, the campaign is designed to boost voter registration and turnout in co-op service areas, which cover more than 70 percent of Kentucky’s landmass, often in rural communities which do not always keep pace with turnout in urban parts of the commonwealth, according to the press release.
Adams told students on the Frankfort Youth Tour that the initiative appears to be making a difference at the polls.
“Coops Vote works,” Adams said in a prepared statement. “We’ve seen an increase in rural turnout since you all started this program. And that makes a huge difference. Historically in Kentucky, urban turnout was high and rural turnout was low. And urban turnout has remained high, but we’ve seen a big pop in rural turnout I think, largely because of the success of this program.”
Barren County’s voter turnout has remained fairly consistent in presidential election years at roughly 60 percent, according to information obtained from the State Board of Elections.
During the Frankfort Youth Tour, Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman encouraged the students to remain engaged in their communities and look for opportunities to serve, saying that the students on the tour “represent the very best of Kentucky” and that giving young people chances to lead helps prepare them for the future while also empowering them to lead today.
Last year’s weeklong Washington Youth Tour to the nation’s capital inspired 13 students to organize voter registration drives in their hometowns. Those efforts reportedly led to hundreds of newly eligible voters being added to the rolls.
Key Facts
• Kentucky Electric Cooperatives’ 2026 Co-ops Vote initiative is in its 11th year
• The nonpartisan campaign seeks to increase voter registration and turnout in areas served by electric cooperatives
• Secretary of State Michael Adams and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman voiced support for the program during the Frankfort Youth Tour
• Nearly 90 high school juniors representing co-ops statewide took part in the launch and civic engagement activities
• Electric cooperatives serve more than 70 percent of Kentucky’s landmass, but rural turnout has historically lagged behind urban areas
• Student-led voter registration drives inspired by the program have helped register hundreds of new voters
• Co-ops also promote civic engagement through Kentucky Living magazine and the Kentucky Electric Cooperatives Legislative Guide
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