McCoy: Legislature acts to increase integrity of elections, access to process
By CHAD MCCOY
50th District State Representative
Saturday, May 18, 2019 — As voters across Kentucky head to the polls this week to vote in the Primary Election, I thought I would review for you some of the bills we passed into law regarding our election process here in the Commonwealth.
I am pleased to share that we passed an elections bill aimed at fixing a decades-old problem. One of the most frustrating practices I first noticed when I was elected to the General Assembly is that we often get off to a slow start. In the past, work on key priorities is delayed until after the filing deadline. We addressed that this session and approved an elections bill that will make future legislatures more effective and concentrated on doing the taxpayers’ business from the beginning of session to the end. SB 60 will move the filing deadline to run for office from the last Tuesday in January to early January, which coincides with the beginning of the annual legislative session. The passage of good public policy should not hinge on politics.
A measure aimed at protecting the integrity of our primary elections also passed this session. HB 325 contains two main provisions, including preventing voters from gaming the election system to influence the outcome of a political party’s primary. While Kentuckians can change their voter registration at any time, there is a deadline of December 31 to vote in the next primary election. This deadline exists to give election officials time to organize voter rolls and organize the process. However, some folks found a way around that deadline by withdrawing entirely and registering again as a new voter. They then switch back to their original party. This essentially lets them play a stronger role in picking their opponent, which at a minimum is bad for democracy.
The bill also increases access to absentee voting and brings more efficiency to the process. Provisions of the bill allow county clerks to send a mail-in absentee ballot application by email and provides an additional seven days for the return of an absentee ballot, allowing 14 total days.
We also passed into law an amended version of HB 114. The initial bill moves the final date for filing a statement of candidacy for independent candidates from April 1 to the last Tuesday in January, bringing it in line with the filing date of major party candidates and eliminating confusion. The measure was amended to make the Kentucky Board of Elections (BOE) an independent agency of state government. Until now, it has been a part of the Secretary of State’s office, but recent events involving tampering with the voter database for political purposes made it vital that we step forward to protect the integrity of our voter rolls. HB 114 also changes the composition of the BOE to include former county clerks from both parties, and limits who has access to voter registration information. I voted for this measure and believed in it because I felt it added much more transparency to the Secretary of State’s Office and helped to further maintain the integrity of our voter rolls.
And finally, the electoral process is finally catching up with technology in a real and meaningful way. Though we have many traditions here in Frankfort and the Commonwealth, if technology can help us expedite some of those processes, then why not go the simpler route? SB 4 would make the electronic filing of campaign finance reports mandatory for candidates beginning with the 2020 election cycle. Candidates will receive the necessary software at no cost. It will also reduce the “grace period” from five days to two days, as they will not be dependent on the US Postal Service. This new law levels the playing field for all running for elected office and ensures greater transparency, as campaign donors will be publically available in an even timelier manner.
As always, please contact me with your thoughts and ideas on topics we may address in the interim and during the 2020 legislative session. I can be reached here at my office, (502) 233-8385, or through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181. If you would like more information, or to e-mail me, please visit the legislature’s website www.legislature.ky.gov.
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