Attorney General Daniel Cameron today announced that, consistent with state law, twelve randomly-selected Kentucky counties will undergo a 2022 post-primary election audit. The audits will be conducted by the Attorney General’s Department of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Nicholas, Monroe, Graves, Metcalfe, Jackson, Hopkins, Pendleton, Boyd, Madison, Powell, Rockcastle, and Grayson Counties to determine if any irregularities took place during the 2022 primary election.
“Post-election audits are an important part of our efforts to protect the integrity of Kentucky’s elections and to ensure our elections remain free and fair,” said Attorney General Cameron. “Our Department of Criminal Investigations works closely with county clerks and their staff to conduct the audit in each county, and we appreciate their partnership in this process.”
During the 2022 legislative session, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 216, which amended KRS 15.243 to expand the Attorney General’s independent inquiry of potential election irregularities from not fewer than five percent of Kentucky counties to not fewer than 12 counties. Today, these twelve counties were randomly selected in a public forum within twenty days of the 2022 primary election, as the statute requires.
State law prohibits counties from being audited in two consecutive elections. Counties audited following the 2020 General Election were not eligible for today’s drawing and include: Fleming, Hickman, Lawrence, Livingston, Anderson, and Boone. The post-election audits conducted by DCI in each of these counties did not uncover any criminal conduct.
After completing independent investigations in each of the twelve counties drawn today, DCI and the Attorney General’s Office of Special Prosecutions will present their findings to the grand jury and chief circuit judge of each audited county.
