FRANKFORT, Ky (CLARKSVILLENOW) – After a close gubernatorial race which ended last night, Tuesday, November 5, Governor Matt Bevin has formally requested a recanvass. Bevin, who has refused to concede to his opponent, Andy Bashear, claims that voting irregularities may play a role in the election’s results.
The recanvassing process will begin on Thursday, November 14, according to Kentucky Secretary of State Alison L. Grimes.
With all precincts reporting in, the official tally saw Democratic candidate Andy Bashear leading by 5,333 out of over 1.4 million ballots counted. Bashear declared victory in a speech late Tuesday night, though Bevin has refused to concede with such a close margin.
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“The people of Kentucky deserve a fair and honest election,” said Bevin campaign Manager, Davis Paine. “With reports of irregularities, we are exercising the right to ensure that every lawful vote was counted.”
Bevin has cited irregularities in the voting process as his reason for not conceding, though no specific examples have been given as to the nature of these irregularities.
In a letter to Secretary Grimes, Bevin officially requested “a check and recanvass of the voting machines and absentee ballots of all precincts in Kentucky involving [Bevin’s] race for Governor.”
The Bashear campaign released a statement shortly after, stating that “Last night, the people of Kentucky elected Andy Bashear as their next governor. Today, Governor-Elect Bashear is already working on his transition so that he can best serve the people of Kentucky on day one. We hope that Matt Bevin honors the results of the recanvass, which will show he received fewer votes than Andy Bashear. As has been reported, a recanvassing has never changed the result of a Kentucky election.”
According to Kentucky state law, a recanvass is allowed if a county clerk or board of elections notices a flaw or discrepancy in the voting process. A candidate may also request a recanvassing by written request to the Secretary of State, as is the case now. The process involves a review of the total number of votes by each county clerk, ensuring all absentee votes and and printouts are accurate. A new count is then sent to the State Board of Elections.