# Will Kentucky Republicans nullify the vote and give Matt Bevin the governorship? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 11, 2019, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kentucky-republicans-nullify-the-vote-and-give-matt-bevin-the-governorship/843271 "2019-11-11T02:06:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kentucky-republicans-nullify-the-vote-and-give-matt-bevin-the-governorship/843271/1 "2019-11-11T02:06:01Z")
> **[Kentucky Governor Could Challenge Election Before State Legislature...](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/06/us/bevin-kentucky-recanvass.html)** > > Trailing Andy Beshear by about 5,000 votes, Gov. Matt Bevin is calling for a recanvass of ballots next week. A showdown between lawmakers could follow. It’s true that KY republicans would probably rather he just concede, but if given the opportunity, I don’t see how the state party could resist the special interests that would lean on them to prevent a Democratic governor from taking power. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kentucky-republicans-nullify-the-vote-and-give-matt-bevin-the-governorship/843271/2 "2019-11-11T02:21:26Z")
I say No, but then again I thought that a huckster like Donald Trump could never win a national election. So I guess it’s probably going to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Paranoid\_Randroid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paranoid_randroid/32/18_2.png) [@Paranoid\_Randroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paranoid_Randroid)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kentucky-republicans-nullify-the-vote-and-give-matt-bevin-the-governorship/843271/3 "2019-11-11T02:57:11Z")
If he were just a little less hated, maybe. But he hasn’t even polled that well among republicans, hovering around least to second-least popular governor in the country. He’s abrasive and can’t keep his damn trap shut to save his life. I’m not sure he’s the guy other politicians are keen to stick their neck out for. ---
**Author:** ![Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankees_1996_Champs)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kentucky-republicans-nullify-the-vote-and-give-matt-bevin-the-governorship/843271/4 "2019-11-11T03:18:14Z")
Gov.-elect Andy Beshear is the next governor. It is therefore time to move on and let the KY GOP retool for 2023. Bevin lost. Time to move on. This is why people don’t like politics. Do a quick recount and move forward. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kentucky-republicans-nullify-the-vote-and-give-matt-bevin-the-governorship/843271/5 "2019-11-11T03:24:43Z")
Power abhors a vacuum. If the KY GOP think they can retain power, they’ll do their damnedest. It’s like taking gerrymandering to the next level. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kentucky-republicans-nullify-the-vote-and-give-matt-bevin-the-governorship/843271/6 "2019-11-11T03:53:25Z")
“If conservatives become convinced that they cannot win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy” --David Frum ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kentucky-republicans-nullify-the-vote-and-give-matt-bevin-the-governorship/843271/7 "2019-11-11T06:01:16Z")
I haven’t yet read (and the article doesn’t really explain) what the most extreme scenario is. Does the legislature have the ability to outright give the governorship to the candidate of their choice without restriction? If not, what are the restrictions? Could they declare the results null and void? What can happen if they do? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kentucky-republicans-nullify-the-vote-and-give-matt-bevin-the-governorship/843271/8 "2019-11-11T08:48:42Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > “If conservatives become convinced that they cannot win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy” --David Frum Why bring Frum into it? The GOP hasn’t been conservative since 1994 (at the latest). They’ve already abandoned conservatism in favor of reactionary radicalism. ETA: Of course, they’ve also abandoned democracy. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kentucky-republicans-nullify-the-vote-and-give-matt-bevin-the-governorship/843271/9 "2019-11-11T11:20:49Z")
> [@Paranoid\_Randroid](#): > > If he were just a little less hated, maybe. But he hasn’t even polled that well among republicans, hovering around least to second-least popular governor in the country. He’s abrasive and can’t keep his damn trap shut to save his life. I’m not sure he’s the guy other politicians are keen to stick their neck out for. I’ve heard/read he wasn’t doing particularly well among Republicans, but he would have won the vote had a considerable number not voted libertarian, which doesn’t invalidate the result, but it’s a political truth. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kentucky-republicans-nullify-the-vote-and-give-matt-bevin-the-governorship/843271/10 "2019-11-11T11:56:33Z")
If he were just a little less hated, he would have actually won. I think it’s a given that they’re going to try. The question is just whether they’ll succeed. It _should_ go all the way to the Supreme Court, if they’re not stopped by a state court first. But with the current court, there’s a significant chance that they’ll lie and say it’s a political question, and that they therefore won’t get involved. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kentucky-republicans-nullify-the-vote-and-give-matt-bevin-the-governorship/843271/11 "2019-11-11T13:12:40Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Why bring Frum into it? The GOP hasn’t been conservative since 1994 (at the latest). They’ve already abandoned conservatism in favor of reactionary radicalism. > > ETA: Of course, they’ve also abandoned democracy. You’re right. There’s a term for a reactionary movement on the right. Let me see what was it. Oh yeah. Fascism. 😃 With respect to the OP, I believe they’re considering it. They just need to find that thin layer of veneer they can put over their most blatant attempt to subvert democracy (so far). I think they’d like to, and I’m sure they will try. There is no question at all they would rather have Bevin then a “Demonrat”. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kentucky-republicans-nullify-the-vote-and-give-matt-bevin-the-governorship/843271/12 "2019-11-11T14:54:39Z")
No, this is a bridge too far even for the US Fascist Party. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kentucky-republicans-nullify-the-vote-and-give-matt-bevin-the-governorship/843271/13 "2019-11-11T15:12:01Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/06/us/bevin-kentucky-recanvass.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/06/us/bevin-kentucky-recanvass.html) > > It’s true that KY republicans would probably rather he just concede, but if given the opportunity, I don’t see how the state party could resist the special interests that would lean on them to prevent a Democratic governor from taking power. > **[Skeptics Urge Bevin To Show Proof Of Fraud Claims, Warning Of Corrosive Effects](https://www.npr.org/2019/11/10/777300611/skeptics-urge-bevin-to-show-proof-of-fraud-claims-warning-of-corrosive-effects)** > > Elections specialists worry that politicians' scurrilous claims about voter fraud — when it seldom has a decisive effect on outcomes — erode confidence in democracy. > [@](#): > > Republican Senate President Robert Stivers said in an interview Friday that Bevin should concede if next week’s recanvass doesn’t radically change the election results. > > “It’s time to call it quits and go home, say he had a good four years and congratulate Gov.-elect Beshear,” said Stivers, in an interview with Louisville’s Courier-Journal. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kentucky-republicans-nullify-the-vote-and-give-matt-bevin-the-governorship/843271/14 "2019-11-11T15:22:54Z")
A less drastic possibility which is much more likely- the legislature passes legislation stripping the governor of as much power as possible to be signed by the outgoing governor as he goes out the door. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kentucky-republicans-nullify-the-vote-and-give-matt-bevin-the-governorship/843271/15 "2019-11-11T16:27:25Z")
No, the Kentucky Governor is a pretty ‘weak Governor’ as far as state politics goes. It only takes a majority in both chambers to override a veto. The governor will spend more time welcoming the high school football champs and cutting ribbons for a new Walmart than political arm twisting, regardless of party. ---
**Author:** ![ricksummon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ricksummon/32/3333_2.png) [@ricksummon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricksummon)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kentucky-republicans-nullify-the-vote-and-give-matt-bevin-the-governorship/843271/16 "2019-11-11T17:51:51Z")
Does this power also extend to elections for US Senators? In other words, can McConnell “request” that the Kentucky state legislature “reelect” him in 2020? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kentucky-republicans-nullify-the-vote-and-give-matt-bevin-the-governorship/843271/17 "2019-11-11T18:12:17Z")
What are talking about? All that has happened so far is the incumbent asked for a recanvass of the vote. As far as I can tell, all that does is check for clerical errors. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kentucky-republicans-nullify-the-vote-and-give-matt-bevin-the-governorship/843271/18 "2019-11-11T19:29:38Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > What are talking about? All that has happened so far is the incumbent asked for a recanvass of the vote. As far as I can tell, all that does is check for clerical errors. If the election is contested due to irregularities, it can go to a committee of legislators, which would be dominated by Republicans who could potentially swing it Bevin’s way. There’s no evidence of any such irregularities, but they’re looking pretty hard right now. IMO, it won’t go anywhere. Overturning the election like that would be a real political risk, and nobody is going to take a risk like that on Bevin’s behalf. I hope i don’t have to eat those words. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kentucky-republicans-nullify-the-vote-and-give-matt-bevin-the-governorship/843271/19 "2019-11-11T20:44:33Z")
They’re not really looking hard for irregularities. From what I’ve read, the recanvass consists mainly of getting the vote machine to reprint up their results and check them against what was reported. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2019, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kentucky-republicans-nullify-the-vote-and-give-matt-bevin-the-governorship/843271/20 "2019-11-11T21:10:20Z")
If all it takes to override a veto is a majority in both chambers, then what does a veto even accomplish at all? If you have the votes to pass in the first place, then you also have the votes to overturn. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kentucky-republicans-nullify-the-vote-and-give-matt-bevin-the-governorship/843271.md?page=2)