Who Votes in the Bluegrass State? The Composition of Kentucky's Electorate examines Kentucky's population and electoral participation trends between 2002 and 2006, and compares them to the United States as a whole. The report's major focal points include rates of eligibility, registration and turnout by race or ethnicity, age and income.

This report is organized in three major sections: population, registration and voting. In the first section, we describe the size and demographic composition of Kentucky's overall population and voting-eligible population (VEP). Next, we examine the racial (and ethnic), age and income characteristics of the state's registered population. Then, we present information on the subset of the Kentucky population that voted. We conclude by describing some of the disparities in the rate at which certain populations register and vote.

As we show, Kentuckians who are White, those who are older and those who are more affluent are more likely to register to vote and turn out at the polls. Blacks have significantly increased the rate at which they are registered but still lag behind Whites. Latinos and Asians represent a growing portion of the state population, but their population is still too small to make reliable estimates regarding their rates of registration and voting.

Download the Full Report: Who Votes in the Bluegrass State? The Composition of Kentucky's Electorate, 2002-2006.

Summary Table: Percent of Kentucky's Population Eligible to Vote, Registered to Vote, Voting and Not Voting, 2006 .

Figure 1: Composition of Kentucky's Voter-Eligible Population, Registered Voters and Voters by Age, 2006.

Figure 2: Composition of Kentucky's Voter-Eligible Population, Registered Voters and Voters by Income, 2006.

Figure 3: Composition of Kentucky's Voter-Eligible Population, Registered Voters and Voters by Race or Ethnicity, 2006.