FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — The State Board of Elections has not yet certified the results of the last election because the totals may still not be accurate.
Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes told the State Board of Elections Tuesday that her team found more than 50 possible errors in 20 different counties. She said every statewide race is affected.
Grimes said that there are some transcriptions errors that are not supported by any evidence. For example, she said in McCreary County, Ryan Quarles got 832 votes for Commissioner of Agriculture in the Republican Primary, but his total is listed as 271, a difference of 561 votes.
She said there are also additional errors, and in some counties, the numbers sent in don’t match the unofficial numbers from election night. None of the differences are enough to change the results, but the Secretary of State said it is important to be accurate.
“At the end of the day, this is about making sure the voters of Kentucky have confidence in this process. They need to be assured, regardless of who the nominee is, that when they went out and voted, their vote is properly accounted for,” said Grimes.
She used these discrepancies to support her argument that the State Board of Elections needs more oversight. A new law recently removed her power over the board, meaning she is no longer the chairperson of it and she has no vote. Grimes does not agree with this decision.
“It is part of the process to make sure you are exercising oversight over your staff,” she said.
The state senator responsible for the new law called Grimes’ comments “beyond absurd.” In a statement, Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer said, “I urge the Secretary of State to quit playing political games, do her job, and use everything in her power to ensure that our election results are correct and certified.”
On Friday, the board will give it another try and they’ll try to certify the results once they look into the discrepancies.
