Are there concerns of Kentucky’s election integrity?

    Just a little over a month from now, the 2021 Regular Session of the Kentucky General Assembly will convene to begin to address pressing Kentucky business.
    Falmouth Outlook will have a series of articles through December asking Pendleton County’s two legislators questions about topics of interest that might be addressed in the regular session.
    Secretary of State Mike Adams released some information about the Kentucky election being a model for the rest of the nation. Both the primary and general election seemed to go pretty smoothly but as we had talked about previously, there was a video that appeared making some accusations about the 2018 election in Kentucky. Should voters in Kentucky have any concern about the nature of our Kentucky elections addressed in the 2020 Regular Session, should their be any investigation into the 2018 election and what is your stance on the expanded in-person voting option and increase use of absentee ballots?
    Representative Mark Hart of the 78th District answered the above bolded question with the reply.
    “One of the most sacred privileges granted to Americans is the right to choose those who represent us in government. How we run elections is a hot button issue today because of the nature of politics in our country. While I am open to changes, we must be intentional in what we do and make sure new policies are driven by facts and data. While a few seem to be pushing mail-in voting as an option, I have never had a constituent or county clerk contact me to share an issue with the current absentee ballot procedures. I think most people agree that it is Election Day, not ‘Election Month’ and that voting is accessible with minimal effort.”
    “In regards for a need to investigate the 2019 Election, if evidence surfaced that could substantiate the charge of voter fraud, then I believe it would be the duty of the legislature to prove or disprove the charge and then take appropriate steps.”
    Senator Wil Schroder said, “I’ve had some constituents reach out about this concern and I’ve asked the Secretary of State’s office about it.”
    Schroder provided the response he received from Secretary of State Michael Adam’s office.
    “I believe you are asking about an urban legend from the 2019 general election. The same technology and processes our county clerks used to run Kentucky elections in 2019 were used in 2018, 2016, and 2015, with Republicans winning most elections. Somehow in this conspiracy theory the outcome was different, and tainted, in 2019 – but Republicans won most of the 2019 elections, too.
    In Kentucky elections, votes are not tallied by CNN, or overseas. The Office of the Secretary of State counts the votes, based on information provided directly – not over the Internet – from our 120 bipartisan county boards of elections.
    Those results then are reviewed and certified by a bipartisan State Board of Elections. That is how votes were counted and certified in 2019, as well as in 2020, and in every other election year in modern times.
    The same dubious 2019 conspiracy theories abounding now were debunked in November 2019. Leadership in the General Assembly at that time, in fact, called for evidence of election irregularities to be produced, and it was not. A year later, still no evidence has been produced that would draw the official 2019 election results into question.”
    On the 2020 election, Schroder said, “I think the expanded in-person voting was a success but we need to make sure that it is the same time period in each county.”