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Council To Consider Elimination Of Election Day Alcohol Ban

Lexington’s Urban County Council has moved one step closer to lifting the city’s ban on Election Day alcohol sales.

It’s been more than a year since the state General Assembly voted to open the door for local communities to allow alcoholic beverage sales on Election Day. Lawmakers were following the lead of a number of other states that had recently dropped the law – including Delaware, Indiana, and West Virginia.

Now, Lexington appears poised to do away with its local ban.

"Historically, it was thought that not selling alcohol on Election Days would give some control over vote buying, and I think this is an outdated law and it's obvious to me that we need to take a look at it, particularly since the legislature has given us that authority," Vice Mayor Linda Gorton said at a meeting of the General Government Committee Tuesday.

The committee voted unanimously to send the issue to the full council for consideration.

Kentucky’s statewide ban on the sales was one of only two remaining in the country when the General Assembly voted to lift the restriction in 2013. The last state, South Carolina, officially removed its ban this June.

Still, local communities have the option of retaining or doing away with the rule. 

Josh James fell in love with college radio at Western Kentucky University's student station, New Rock 92 (now Revolution 91.7). After working as a DJ and program director, he knew he wanted to come home to Lexington and try his hand in public radio.
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