Kentucky Gov. Bevin calls for recanvass after falling short of re-election

Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin formally requested a recanvassing of the vote Wednesday after falling short of re-election by more than 5,000 votes, the Kentucky secretary of state said.

The county boards of elections are expected to meet Nov. 14 to conduct the recanvass of all voting machines and absentee ballots.

"Integrity in our election process is crucial, and Kentuckians deserve to know that their votes are properly counted and tabulated," Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes said in a news release.

Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear, a Democrat, declared victory Tuesday night after beating Bevin by an unofficial 5,189 votes. But Bevin said "thousands of absentee ballots were illegally counted."

"The people of Kentucky deserve a fair and honest election. With reports of irregularities, we are exercising the right to ensure that every lawful vote was counted," his campaign manager, Davis Paine, said in a statement.

On Wednesday, Beshear and Lt. Gov-elect Jacqueline Coleman began making plans for taking over as governor in the new year.

"We took some time this morning to talk through our plan for the transition and can't wait to get started building a government that works for everyone," he tweeted.