Kentucky Gov. Beshear signs into law bipartisan elections bill expanding voting access into law

Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear signed a bipartisan-supported bill into law on Wednesday that expanded voting access by codifying election recount procedures, online absentee ballot portals and early voting procedures — an exception to the GOP efforts nationwide to overhaul state election rules in the wake of the 2020 election.

“Today is also a good day for democracy, a good day for elections,” he said. “I want to start by talking about voting — about how when much of the country has put in more restrictive laws — that Kentucky legislators, Kentucky leaders were able to come together to stand up for democracy and to expand the opportunity for people to vote.”

The bill, HB 574, passed 91-3 in the state House and 33-3 in the state Senate before going to Beshear’s desk last week.

Among its provisions are the official approval for voting centers, an online portal for absentee ballot registration and three days of early voting. It will also require drop boxes, creates official recount procedures, allows for tax dollars to advocate for or against ballot questions and mandates all voting machines to generate a paper trail for votes cast, Beshear said.

Beshear also implied the sturdy security of the 2020 election cycle and cast a thinly veiled criticism against states that have made it more difficult for voters seeking to cast their ballot.

“While some states have stepped in a different direction, I’m really proud of Kentucky,” he said. “We created a model for the nation. When sometimes people said eyes were on Kentucky, we showed them the very best, ensuring that not only all our citizens and a record number of citizens in a general election could vote, but that they could do so safely.”