FRANKFORT, KY. (May 15, 2019) - The Attorney General’s office is urging Kentuckians to report any violations of Kentucky’s election laws to his office’s Election Law Violations Hotline.
As the primary election approaches, the Office of the Attorney General’s hotline – available during regular business hours throughout the year – opens at 6 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m. Eastern time on Election Day. Kentuckians who witness election irregularities or possible election law violations are encouraged to call it at 800-328-VOTE (8683).
“Voters have the right to cast their ballots free of interference or intimidation,” said Deputy Attorney General J. Michael Brown. “Anyone with information about potential violations of election law should call our hotline. We will investigate each and every complaint to ensure a fair and honest election in the Commonwealth.”
By law, the Office of the Attorney General has jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute election law violations. In addition to the hotline, investigators from the office are stationed throughout the state on election day to respond to complaints quickly.
The Attorney General’s office coordinates election monitoring with the State Board of Elections, the Secretary of State’s office, Kentucky State Police, the U.S. Attorney’s office and the FBI. OAG staff review complaints and, when appropriate, refers them for further action.
Updates of complaints to the hotline during Tuesday’s primary election will be available to the public and media on the website and through the office’s social media. The web page will also provide the number and types of complaints received on the hotline leading up to the election.
The Office of the Attorney General, by law, cannot provide details regarding specific complaints or pending investigations.
Kentucky law requires the Office of the Attorney General to conduct post-election audits in no fewer than 5 percent of Kentucky’s counties after each primary and general election.
Recently concluded post-2018 general election audits of Breathitt, Grayson, Greenup, McCreary, Washington, Webster counties showed no potential criminal activity.
Following the public drawing in November, the Department of Criminal Investigations Public Integrity Unit verified election forms and interviewed county officials as part of the audits. The unit investigates numerous areas of potential corruption, including election fraud.
The Special Prosecutions Unit, which investigates and prosecutes election law violations, then presented the audit findings to respective grand juries.
The office reminds members of the news media covering the election that they may be in the voting room for the limited purpose of filming the voting process. However, as per OAG 88-76, the media may not conduct interviews with voters inside the voting room, record the identity of voters or disrupt the voting process. See KRS 117.236.
