The Kentucky Senate has voted, primarily along political party lines, to strip the Secretary of State of any authority with the State Board of Elections. A three-part series by the Lexington Herald-Leader and ProPublica reported accusations that Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes and her staff had improperly accessed voter registration rolls.
Senator Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer told his colleagues there’s a need to, quote, “draw a bright line between the Secretary of State’s Office and the State Board of Elections. “This legislative body needs to send a strong message to the voters of this Commonwealth, right now, today with this vote that the integrity of the voter registration rolls in this Commonwealth shall not be compromised no matter who is the Secretary of State,” said Thayer.
Lexington Senator Reggie Thomas voted no, saying the investigative process involving the current Secretary of State should be completed. “There’s no indication that there was ever any interference, or shenanigans or disruptions with our current election process. If we pass this bill, Mr. President, we are throwing our entire 2019 and 2020 election process into chaos,” argued Thomas.
Grimes released a statement, which in part said, “I will carefully review any legislation enacted and take all legal actions necessary to preserve the integrity of Kentucky’s elections. The bill now heads to the House.
