In the US, to be an eligible voter and cast a ballot on election day, you need to register with the State Board of Elections. Notably, voting policies are regulated at the state level and, as such, vary by state. To vote in Kentucky, you need to reside in the state for at least 28 days before the election as well as register your vote 28 days prior to the election date. No same-day registration is allowed. Not only does voter registration prevent inaccuracies and ballot-rigging during elections but it also allows making forecasts and tracking voting trends when the election race is in full swing. Thus, back in 2016, Trump won presidential elections in all Kentucky counties with a wide margin and the voter registration statistics report showcased a solid premise for that victory.
Normally, the majority of votes is split between Democrats and Republicans, with a minor percentage going for other parties. Historically, Kentucky citizens voted for Democrats and strongly supported their candidates both at federal and state levels. However, in 2016, despite the fact that most voters remained registered Democrats, the state citizens gave their votes to Trump. Though in a statistics report Democrats still held the lead, in practice, voters cast over 62% of their ballots for Republicans. What’s more, that year was marked by the record voter registration and turnout demonstrating high political awareness among the state residents. The number of registered voters increased by nearly 30% as compared to previous election campaigns.
Behind that impressive voter activity was a strive of people for changes. The reason why the Kentucky electorate (as well as voters in many other industrial states) has switched to Republicans was a huge economic recession in the state due to many factories closing their doors or moving their facilities to other areas during Obama’s presidency. Obamacare and business policy didn’t work, many people lost their jobs and had to live below the poverty line. They sought business and economic improvements that would ensure financial stability and decent life quality for common citizens. And people believed that Trump, having a solid business background, would bring those changes to life and make them more than vain promises.