FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18)– A new law took the Secretary of State’s power of the State Board of Election away, and it is a change she says leaves room for mistakes to be made. Some clerks are accusing her of making a big deal out of nothing.
In last month’s primary, there were 50 errors in 20 different counties reported. That is how many mistakes the Secretary of State Alison Lundgergan Grimes says would have made it into the state’s final election tally. She said that cannot happen.
Grimes said when she had control over the board, it did not happen, but some clerks say it is perfectly normal. Grimes told reporters that she had no confidence in the State Board of Elections. She said simple math errors and transcription errors were found in the state’s final election count.
Grimes blames the new law that took her power over the board away. She is no longer the chairperson of the board and she’s not allowed to vote. These are changes she claims have left the board in chaos, and she worries that other serious mistakes, like not protecting our elections from foreign interference, could be made.
She said although none of these errors would’ve created the outcome of the election, every vote should be properly counted because we have had elections that come down to a few votes.
“We have a Governor sitting in the office by 83 votes. You have a legislator sitting in the General Assembly by one vote. Every vote does matter. Every election matters. And the State Board of Elections has to live up to the process of ensuring that every vote cast will properly be counted,” said Grimes.
While some county clerks agree with her, others do not. Several of them said she is making a big issue out of a normal mistake.
“Nothing happened this election that doesn’t happen every election and get caught and get fixed. That’s how it works. That’s why we have the state board to look over the certification. This is what’s supposed to happen,” said Fayette County Clerk Don Blevins Jr.
On Friday, the State Board of Elections will try to certify the results again.
