By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
Amendment 2: no. Amendment 2: no. Amendment 2: yes.
The rhythmic oration filled the Barren County Fiscal Court chambers for two hours and two minutes as two “hand-to-eye” talliers counted votes. Two Barren County poll workers were tasked with fulfilling the requirements of a new state law.
This is the first year of the hand-to-eye audit as the Kentucky General Assembly recently passed House Bill 53 during the 2024 General Assembly with the goal to “validate the accuracy and fidelity of the vote tabulation,” which, in Barren County, is done by Harp Enterprises voting machines.
Based on the Kentucky Revised Statute the law amends, the Secretary of State, on Nov. 6, randomly selected one voting machine and one race tabulated on that machine to undergo the hand-to-eye audit, which was performed by Kim Glass and Amy Burris.
Barren County Clerk Helena Chase Birdwell announced the machine that was selected was the second machine at the Park City Lions Club polling place and the election was the amendment 2 contest, which was defeated in Barren County with 12,819 votes.
In total 709 ballots were cast using the machine, and the talliers hand counted the 194 yes votes, the 472 no votes and the 43 blank ballots; the same amount that was tabulated by the machine. Birdwell said that while she was initially stressed by the new requirement, she is happy that through this process the election results can be without question.
At the end of the audit Glass and Burris had a discrepancy of one “yes” vote and so a brief recount began which rectified the issue. Birdwell and others present — which included Barren County Board of Elections members Pat Scott, Mike Harris and Sheriff Kent Keen — discussed some ways they can make the process more efficient for the 2026 elections.
All in all, Birdwell said she is happy for the process as it will increase confidence in election results for the residents of Barren County.
