{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-117.275","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 117.275","heading":"Counting and certification of votes -- Locking and sealing of equipment --","body":"Return sheets -- Transmission of records -- Return of keys, equipment, ballot\nboxes, federal provisional ballot receptacle, supplemental paper ballot box,\nballot stubs, an d spoiled and unvoted ballots -- Authorized representatives of\ncandidates and news media to witness vote count -- Tabulation and\ncertification of ballots and distribution of precinct -by-precinct summary of\nresults -- Limitation on publicizing partial resul ts -- Online transmission of\nunofficial results -- Retention schedule for documents.\n(1) At the count of the votes in any precinct, any candidate or slate of candidates and\nany representatives to witness and check the count of the votes therein, wh o are\nauthorized to be appointed as is provided in subsection (8) of this section, shall be\nadmitted and permitted to be present and witness the count.\n(2) As soon as the polls are closed and the last voter has voted, the judges at that time\nshall immediat ely lock and seal the voting equipment so that the voting and\ncounting mechanisms will be prevented from operating, and they shall sign a\ncertificate stating:\n(a) That the voting equipment has been locked against voting and sealed;\n(b) The number of voters, as shown on the public counters;\n(c) The number registered on the protective or cumulative counter or device; and\n(d) The number or other designation of the voting equipment.\nThe certificate, with any additional certificate previously prepared under KRS\n117.035, shall be returned by the judges of election to the officials authorized by\nlaw to receive it. The judges shall compare the number of voters, as shown by the\ncounter of the voting equipment, with the number of those who have voted as\nshown by the protective or cumulative counter or device.\n(3) Where voting equipment is used that prints the candidates' names along with the\ntotal votes received on a return sheet or record for that equipment, the precinct\nelection officers shall sign the return sheets  or record for the voting equipment,\nwhich shall be posted on the door of the precinct.\n(4) If any officer shall decline to sign the return sheets, he or she shall state the reason\nin writing, and a copy thereof, signed by the officer, shall be enclosed wi th the\nreturn sheets.\n(5) Each of the return sheets, if applicable, and the record of the voting equipment shall\nbe enclosed in an envelope. One (1) copy of the return sheets, if applicable, one (1)\ncopy of the record of the voting equipment, and the write -in roll, if any write -in\nvotes were cast in the precinct, shall be directed to the county board of elections of\nthe county in which the election is being held. One (1) copy of the return sheets or\nrecord of the voting equipment shall be given to the count y clerk of the county in\nwhich the election is being held and to each of the local governing bodies of the two\n(2) dominant political parties, but a local governing body of a dominant political\nparty may decline a copy of the precinct election return by fi ling a written\ndeclination with the county board of elections prior to the election, and upon this\ndeclination, a printed copy shall not be issued to the political party so declining.\nThe declination on file shall be effective for that election and any sub sequent\nelections until revoked by the local governing body of a dominant political party by\nfiling a written revocation with the county board of elections. The envelope shall\nhave endorsed thereon a certificate of the election officers, stating the number  or\nunique designation of the voting equipment, the precinct where it has been used, the\nnumber on the seal, and the number on the protective or cumulative counter or\ndevice at the close of the polls.\n(6) During the period established by KRS 117.355(2), and following the tabulation of\nall votes cast in the election, including absentee votes and write-in votes:\n(a) The county board of elections shall mail, transmit via facsimile machine,\nhand-deliver, or submit by electronic means a copy of the precinct-by-precinct\nsummary of the tabulation sheets showing the results from each precinct to the\nState Board of Elections. The copy of the precinct-by-precinct summary of the\ntabulation sheets showing the results fr om each precinct shall include the\nvotes cast on the day of an election and during absentee voting; and\n(b) The county clerk shall mail or deliver the precinct signature rosters from each\nprecinct and the in -person absentee ballot signature roster to the S tate Board\nof Elections.\n(7) For each voting location, as soon as possible after the completion of the count, the\ntwo (2) election officers who are not of the same political affiliation shall return to\nthe county board of elections the keys to the voting e quipment received and\nreceipted for by them, and the county clerk, in each voting location, shall have the\nvoting equipment properly boxed or securely covered and removed to a proper and\nsecure place of storage.\n(8) In primaries, each candidate or group of  candidates may designate to the county\nboard of elections a representative to witness and check the vote count. In regular\nelections, the governing authority of each political party, each candidate for\nmember of board of education, nonpartisan candidate, political group candidate,\npolitical organization candidate, independent candidate, or independent ticket may\ndesignate a representative to the county board of elections to witness and check the\nvote count. The county board of elections shall authorize rep resentatives of the\nnews media to witness the vote count.\n(9) For all federal provisional ballots, if applicable, and supplemental paper ballots if\napproved as provided in KRS 118.215, after the polls are closed, the two (2) judges\nshall return to the coun ty clerk's office the locked federal provisional ballot\nreceptacle and the supplemental paper ballot box, all ballot stubs, spoiled ballots,\nand unvoted ballots at the same time as the tabulation of votes from the voting\nequipment is delivered. The county clerk shall issue a receipt for the number of\nballot stubs, unvoted ballots, spoiled ballots, and the ballot boxes or ballot\nreceptacle.\n(10) The county board of elections, or its designee, shall count and tally the\nsupplemental paper ballots that have not  been tabulated by automatic tabulating\nequipment at the precinct, either manually or with the use of tabulating equipment\nthat has been certified by the State Board of Elections for use for that purpose in the\ncounty clerk's office. The results of the vot e tally shall be certified by the county\nboard of elections to the county clerk and to the Secretary of State.\n(11) The county board of elections shall tabulate the valid federal provisional ballots.\nThe results of the vote tally shall be certified by the county board of elections to the\ncounty clerk and to the Secretary of State. The county board of elections shall mail\na copy of the precinct -by-precinct summary of the valid federal provisional ballot\ntabulation sheets showing the results from each precinc t to the State Board of\nElections.\n(12) The county board of elections shall authorize the candidates, slates of candidates, or\ntheir representatives, and representatives of the news media to be present during the\ncounting of the supplemental and federal provisional paper ballots.\n(13) No person shall transmit or publicize any tallies or counts of ballots, or any partial\nresults, to any person except those persons, election officials, or entities authorized\nby law to receive it, until 6 p.m. prevailing time on the day of a primary or an\nelection.\n(14) (a) Unofficial election results transmitted online to the county board of elections\nor the State Board of Elections shall occur by means of a secure online\nconnection after results are tallied on the tally computer that has been certified\nin accordance with KRS 117.379 as part of a voting system as defined in KRS\n117.001.\n(b) If an external device is used to upload election results for the subsequent\ntransmission, the device shall be used for that primary or elec tion only and be\nof a type approved by the State Board of Elections as part of a voting system\nunder KRS 117.379. The upload of the election results shall occur in the\npresence of two (2) members of the county board of elections who are of a\ndifferent political affiliation.\n(15) Except as otherwise required in this chapter, all records and papers relating to\nspecified elections shall be retained for twenty -two (22) months, and the county\nclerk shall retain the voted federal provisional ballots, voter affirm ations, election\nofficial affirmations, and the supplemental paper ballots for twenty -two (22)\nmonths and the unvoted federal provisional ballots, the voter affirmations, election\nofficial affirmations, and the supplemental paper ballots for sixty (60) day s after\neach election day, after which time they shall be destroyed in a manner to render\nthem unreadable by the county board of elections if no contest or recount action has\nbeen filed.","path":["KRS Chapter 117"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=56995","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:50:12Z","sha256":"3fd524ef7ba4e54d65747230d88cc49645b19701763fc7e624b08181d124a616","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-117.270","next":"us-ky/krs-117.280"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}