Counties include Boyle, Gallatin, Henderson, Kenton, Oldham and Powell
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 22, 2019) – Assistant DeputyAttorney General Michael Wright today announced the six Kentucky counties randomly drawn to undergo post-general election audits.
By law, the Office of the Attorney General has jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute election law violations and is required to conduct postelection audits in no fewer than 5 percent of Kentucky’s counties following each primary and general election.
Today, at a public drawing, Wright selected at random from a list of counties Boyle, Gallatin, Henderson, Kenton, Oldham and Powell. The selection of counties does not imply irregularities are suspected.
“We take our job to protect Kentuckians’ voting rights very seriously,” Wright said. “These audits ensure our election process remains fair and aid our sworn investigators in identifying any suspected wrongdoing or irregularities.”
To guarantee a fair and equitable election process, following each election, investigators within the Department of Criminal Investigations perform routine audits, which include checking election forms and interviewing county officials. After conducting inquiries, prosecutors in the Office of Special Prosecutions present the results to the respective county grand juries.
Beshear’s office also provides an Election Law Violation hotline – 800-328-VOTE (8683) – throughout the year and has investigators stationed throughout the state on Election Day to respond to complaints quickly.
The office coordinates election monitoring with the State Board of Elections, the Secretary of State’s Office, Kentucky State Police, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Office of the Attorney General staff review complaints and, when appropriate, refer them for further action.
In this election cycle, the office’s Election Law Violations hotline received 164 election calls from 56 counties. By law, the office cannot provide details regarding specific complaints or possible pending investigations.
“Any and all allegations of election fraud will be pursued and those in violation of the law will be held accountable,” Wright said.
The office recently concluded post-2019 primary election audits of Bourbon, Carter, Fleming, Marion, Muhlenberg and Scott counties. The audits showed no potential criminal activity.
The post-2018 general election audits of Breathitt, Grayson, Greenup, McCreary, Washington and Webster counties also showed no potential criminal activity.
There were no statewide elections in 2017. No irregularities were found in the postelection audits for the 2016 primary and general elections.
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