Title 031 | Chapter 004 | Regulation 031E
This emergency regulation is being promulgated pursuant to both KRS 13A.190(1)(a)(1), to meet an imminent threat to public welfare, as well as, KRS 13A.190(1)(a)(3), to meet an imminent deadline for the promulgation of an administrative regulation established by state statute. Section 150 of the Kentucky Constitution requires free and fair elections in the Commonwealth; KRS 118.025(4) sets May 21, 2024, as the date for the next primary election. In recent years, the General Assembly has amended the various Kentucky Revised Statutes related to voting in the Commonwealth. As election administrators adapt to these new changes, the need for administrative changes becomes apparent, so that Kentuckians may continue to cast their ballots with the highest degrees of ease and security. This is being filed as an emergency administrative regulation to ensure the administrative regulations and procedures required by statute to promote free and fair elections are in effect for the upcoming election. This emergency administrative regulation is temporary in nature and will be replaced by an ordinary administrative regulation. The companion ordinary administrative regulation is identical to this emergency administrative regulation.
31 KAR 4:031E.Reporting.
Section 1.
The following reporting forms shall be filed in accordance with the referenced statutes:(1)
Pursuant to KRS 117.355(1), the precinct election sheriff shall file the Precinct Election Sheriff's Postelection Report, SBE 53, with the chair of the county board of elections and the local grand jury;(2)
Pursuant to KRS 117.355(2), the county board of election shall file the County Board of Elections Postelection Report, SBE 54, with the State Board of Elections and the local grand jury;(3)
Pursuant to KRS 117.275(7) and 117.355(2), the county board of elections shall file the County Board of Elections Postelection Statistical Report, SBE 54A, with the State Board of Elections;(4)
Pursuant to KRS 117.355(2), the county board of elections shall file the County Board of Elections Precinct Election Officials Absence Report, SBE 54B, with the State Board of Elections;(5)
Pursuant to KRS 117.275(12) and 117.086(4)(c), the county clerk shall file the County Board of Elections Provisional Ballots Issued to Voters and Counted, SBE 54C with the State Board of Elections.(6)
Pursuant to KRS 117.086(4)(a)-(b), the county clerk shall file the Absentee Ballot Report, SBE 33A, with the State Board of Elections;(7)
Pursuant to KRS 117.086(5), the county board of elections shall file the Number of Rejected Absentee Ballots and Reasons for Rejected Ballots, SBE 33B; and(8)
Pursuant to KRS 117.275(11)-(12) and 118.425(4), the county board of elections shall file the Certification Official Count and Record of Election Totals, SBE 49, with the Secretary of State.Section 2.
Any form described in Section 1 that is capable of being recorded or filled automatically through the State Board of Elections' Voter Registration System may be deemed by the State Board of Elections as being transmitted following the successful capture of all required information by the Voter Registration System.Section 3.
(1)
Pursuant to KRS 117.275(15), the State Board of Elections shall develop and maintain a platform with a secure online connection for the transmission of unofficial election results from county boards of election to the State Board of Elections following the tallying of votes for all primary, and regular elections, as well as special elections for statewide office, the General Assembly, and the United States Congress.(2)
Beginning at 6:00 p.m., prevailing time, on the day of a primary or regular election, as well as a special election for statewide office, the General Assembly, and the United States Congress, county boards of election shall use the secure online platform maintained by the State Board of Elections to transmit their county's unofficial election tally. The unofficial vote tally transmitted shall include precinct-by-precinct totals from counts of all mail-in absentee ballots, excused in-person absentee ballots, no-excuse in-person absentee ballots, and election day ballots, and shall include totals for those candidates who have filed a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate pursuant to KRS 117.265(2). Unofficial vote tallys transmitted using the secure online platform shall be transmitted using a computer-file-type and format selected by the State Board of Elections, which shall be selected following the certification of candidates by the Secretary of State pursuant to KRS 118.215(1), or immediately after receiving the Secretary of State's certification pursuant to KRS 118.770.(3)
The State Board of Elections shall display the tally information received from the county boards of election through the secure online transmittal platform on a secure website freely available to the general public. The display shall list precinct-by-precinct tallys for all candidates and questions but shall only list a candidate's precinct absentee vote totals as cumulative.(4)
County boards of election or county clerks shall verify with the State Board of Elections that their county's unofficial vote tally has been successfully transmitted to the State Board of Elections no later than six (6) hours after the close of polls. Should a county's tally not be complete six (6) hours after the close of polls, a representative of the county clerk's office shall update the State Board of Elections by telephone as to the status of the tally transmittal at the end of the sixth hour and then subsequently at the top of each following hour unless the transmittal is completed before such time.Section 4.
Incorporation by Reference.(1)
The following material is incorporated by reference:(a)
"Precinct Election Sheriff's Postelection Report", SBE 53, 04/2024;(b)
"County Board of Elections Post-election Report", SBE 54, 04/2024;(c)
"County Board of Elections Post-election Statistical Report", SBE 54A, 04/2024;(d)
"County Board of Elections Precinct Election Officials Absence Report", SBE 54B, 04/2024 September 2002;(e)
"Absentee Ballot Report", SBE 33A, 04/2024;(f)
"Number of Rejected Absentee Ballots and Reasons for Rejected Ballots", SBE 33B, 04/2024; and(g)
"Certification Official Count and Record of Election Totals", SBE 49, 04/2024.(2)
This material may also be obtained on the board's Web site at https://elect.ky.gov.This emergency regulation is being promulgated pursuant to both KRS 13A.190(1)(a)(1), to meet an imminent threat to public welfare, as well as, KRS 13A.190(1)(a)(3), to meet an imminent deadline for the promulgation of an administrative regulation established by state statute. Section 150 of the Kentucky Constitution requires free and fair elections in the Commonwealth; KRS 118.025(4) sets May 21, 2024, as the date for the next primary election. In recent years, the General Assembly has amended the various Kentucky Revised Statutes related to voting in the Commonwealth. As election administrators adapt to these new changes, the need for administrative changes becomes apparent, so that Kentuckians may continue to cast their ballots with the highest degrees of ease and security. This is being filed as an emergency administrative regulation to ensure the administrative regulations and procedures required by statute to promote free and fair elections are in effect for the upcoming election. This emergency administrative regulation is temporary in nature and will be replaced by an ordinary administrative regulation. The companion ordinary administrative regulation is identical to this emergency administrative regulation.