Elections, Constitutional Amendments, and Intergovernmental Affairs
As Kentuckians across the state look to the Primary Election on May 21, I think it is appropriate to review some of the steps we took this session to ensure secure, transparent elections. Below are only a handful of the bills that cleared the House Elections, Constitutional Amendments, and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee and made their way through the entire legislative process. More can be found at legislature.ky.gov.
Election laws continue to be a priority as we strive to not only provide security and uphold the integrity of the democratic process, but also inform voters of the steps taken to do so. After all, trust in our election process is essential to maintaining public confidence in our government. When elections are secure, citizens can have confidence that their voices are being heard, and that their votes are being accurately counted. Conversely, concerns about election security – whether founded in truth or misinformation – can erode trust in the electoral process and undermine faith in democracy itself.
Ensuring Election Integrity – HB 44 sets additional guidelines for voter roll cleanup, including a requirement that the Secretary of State and Board of Elections to work together to create a comprehensive report of all voter roll cleanup activity and submit it to the Legislative Research Commission.
Implementing “Check the Tech” Audits – HB 53 implements a new post-election certification process to improve election accuracy and transparency in each county. The Secretary of State will randomly select one ballot scanner in each county and one race that has been counted on that scanner to be audited by hand. The count would be done by the county clerk or a designee, and any significant discrepancies would be investigated and reported to the Board of Elections, Secretary of State, and Attorney General.
Providing Guidelines for Tax Recall Elections – HB 147 provides guidelines for the timing and ballot-language associated with property tax recall elections.
Continuing Efforts to Improve Elections – HB 580 builds on previous efforts to modernize Kentucky’s election processes by allowing State Board of Elections to work with other states to ensure removal of voters who are no longer residents; requiring the State Board of Elections to implement a form for voters to self-report when they move; improving access to the ballot for certain absentee situations; and allowing county board of elections membership changes to happen during the off-year of elections instead of after the primary elections during the presidential year. Emergency.
Updating Campaign Finance Laws – HB 595 updates campaign finance laws to increase transparency and efficiency by allowing campaign funds to be used to pay for costs incurred during previous campaigns for the same office; allows campaign funds to be used to pay legal fees associated with the elective office they seek; and allows candidates to write one check, rather than multiple checks, to reach the maximum donation level. The measure also specifies how state parties can use election funds to pay for facility maintenance.
Allowing Kentuckians to Vote to Fill Vacant U.S. Senate Seats – HB 622 allows vacant U.S. Senate seats to be filled by special elections rather than by gubernatorial appointment.