The Kentucky Senate has given final passage to election reform legislation. The changes won’t come into play until 2022 since there are no elections this year.
Calling it a “wide ranging bill,” Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer said the measure will change elections in a number of ways. “We indeed are transforming the way in which we elect our public officials and we will ensure the integrity of the ballot to eliminate things like voter fraud, cheating, ballot harvesting, and the like here in the Commonwealth of Kentucky,” said Thayer.
Among other things, Thayer noted the comprehensive bill allows for regional voting centers, requires all votes to be counted by the end of election day, and sets out early voting the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before an election. Senate Minority Floor Leader Morgan McGarvey said he would have liked to see more voting options, but he supported codifying a number of changes.
Lawrenceburg Senator Adrienne Southworth voted no. Southworth said the move to machine produced paper ballots carries a cost and may heighten inconvenience. “I would submit that adds to lines which is not what we’re looking for and it also is absolutely unnecessary related to cost. Why we need a machine for everybody to be able to fill in a couple of bubbles on a piece of paper is beyond me,” said Southworth.
Thayer added county clerks had requested action in this session to allow time for staffing and equipment changes to meet requirements set out in the measure.
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