Kentucky primary results will take days to verify

A mostly mail-in election means a change of pace for election workers in the Bluegrass State.

DEMOCRATS WHO HOPE TOCHALLENGE SENATOR MITCHMCCONNELL.BASED ON WHATHAPPENED IN YESTERDAY'SELECTION---AND LAST MONTH INOHIO---EXPERTS SUGGESTPREPARING FOR DELAYS INRESULTS COME NOVEMBER.REPORTERLARRY SEWARD SHOWS US WHY.(nat pop 10:58:42 - stack ofpaper hits desk) (track)innewport...(vo tc 10:58:55 -shows fingers counting ballots)they're still counting votes.(vo tc 11:07:22) - shows mailcratesballots mailed-in stillroll in by the crate.close tofive-thousand envelopes needto be opened, verified,randomized, and scanned.it's aslow process stressingcounters with record volumesacross kentucky because ofprimary election changescaused by coronavirus.

(sot/tc 10:54:04/ jim luersen/campbell co clerk)"normally wehave the election.

We have theresults posted within an hourand a half, two hours afterthe final vote.

We do ourpaperwork the next day and webreathe a sigh of relief.

Butwe can't do that thiselection."at least not untilnext tuesday." (track)it COULDtake that long to know whichdemocrat faces senator mitchmcconnell in november.formercommonweath secretary of statetrey grayson says expectationsof quick results must change.(sot/ tc 14:06:58/07:01/ treygrayson/ political consultant)"those of us who want to knowthe results, i.e.

Everybody,we have to respect the factthat this is a differentsituation.

It just takeslonger to count votes.

We havea lot of by mail especiallywhen you're doing it in aspecial instance." (track)fortuesday's primary...kentucky's board of electionsallowed anyone registered torequest and mail-in ballots.ohio did the same last month.and this fall... the head ofu-c's department politicalscience expects both to getnear overwhelming volumes ofvotes.

(sot/ tc 3:14/ dr.richard harknett/ head of deptof policuc political scienceprofessor)"if it's a closepresidential election anddefinitely at the state level,we are not going to know theresults for days after theelection.

And that will be themessaging that has to go outto the electorate that this isjust going to be thesituation."(track)with primarycounting... clerk jim luersenhired 14 people to help.HeTHINKS HE may need twice thatthis fall.thanks to a numberof council and school districtraces... campbell county willhave between 45 and 50different ballots to sort.(sot/ tc 10:54:29/ jimluersen/ campbell co clerk)"but at this point we don'tknow what the election innovember is going to look likebecause that's all decideddown in frankfurt." (track)sofor now, his group will justtally up and wait.

çLARRYLOOKLIVEÑ"saturday is it forballots showing up in themail.

Anything that gets herelater will not be counted.kentucky clerk