{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-120.250","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 120.250","heading":"Contest or recount of election on public question.","body":"(1) Any elector who was qualified to and did vote on any public question, other than a\nconstitutional amendment or a question of local option under KRS Chapter 242,\nsubmitted to the voters of any county, city or district for their approval or rejection\nmay con test the election or demand a recount of the ballots by filing a petition,\nwithin thirty (30) days after the election, with the clerk of the Circuit Court of the\ncounty in which the election was held, which court shall have exclusive jurisdiction\nto hear a nd determine all matters in such cases. The petition shall be against the\ncounty, city or district in which the election was held, and shall set forth the grounds\nof contest or reason for requesting a recount. The grounds of contest may be the\ncasting of illegal votes, the exclusion of legal votes, the unfair or illegal conduct of\nthe election, tampering with the returns, the alteration of the certificates of the\nresults, bribery, fraud, intimidation or corrupt practices, or any conduct or practice\ntending to frustrate, obstruct or interfere with the free expression of the will of the\nvoters. A copy of the petition shall be posted at the courthouse door and at one or\nmore public places in the county, city or district in which the election was held.\nSummons shall be served on the defendant as in equity actions.\n(2) Upon the petition being filed, the circuit clerk shall forthwith order the county board\nof election commissioners and the county clerk of the county involved in the contest\nto preserve and hold the ballots cast at the election on the question subject to the\norder of the Circuit Court. The court shall, within five (5) days after the petition is\nfiled, determine whether there are sufficient grounds stated to justify the contest,\nand shall thereupon require the contestants to give bond for costs, and fix a time for\nthe defendant to answer, not exceeding twenty (20) days.\n(3) If the county, city or district affected fails to defend the action, any elector may\nbecome a defendant by filing an answer or othe r proper pleading within thirty (30)\ndays after the filing of the petition, and by giving security for the costs in an amount\nto be fixed by the court. Any elector may join and assist the defendant in resisting\nthe action by filing an application to do so and by giving security for such\nproportion of the costs as may be adjudged against him.","path":["KRS Chapter 120"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=27836","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:50:18Z","sha256":"6a06368804a565dd529e1fc9aba3731cc2a63062ec263c7a2b697043305ddb0d","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-120.215","next":"us-ky/krs-120.260"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}