With the Nov. 5 election coming up, the Office of the Attorney General urges Kentuckians who witness or suspect violations of Kentucky’s election laws to call their hotline.
Currently, the hotline is available during regular business hours and will be open from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. eastern time on Election Day itself. If Kentuckians experience election irregularities or possible election law violations, they should report it at 800-328-VOTE (8683).
By law, the Office of the Attorney General has jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute election law violations. In addition to the hotline, the office stations investigators throughout the state on Election Day so they can respond quickly to complaints.
They will coordinate 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. AG staff members review complaints and, when appropriate, refers them for further action.
During the May primary election cycle, the Attorney General’s office took 50 calls on the hotline, but say by law, they cannot provide details regarding specific complaints or pending investigations.
Following the election, 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-2019 primary election audits of Bourbon, Carter, Fleming, Marion, Muhlenberg and Scott counties showed no potential criminal activity.
After the public drawing of the names at random in June, 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.