FRANKFORT, KY. (May 21, 2018) – As voters prepare to head to the polls, Attorney General Andy Beshear is urging Kentuckians to report any violations of Kentucky’s election laws to his office’s Election Law Violations Hotline.
The hotline – 800-328-VOTE (8683) – opens at 6 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m. (Eastern time), and Kentuckians who witness election irregularities or possible election law violations are encouraged to call it, Beshear said.
“Each voter has the right to cast his or her ballot free of interference and intimidation, and my office is here to protect that right,” Beshear said. “I encourage anyone with possible information about violations of voting rights laws to call the Election Law Violations Hotline. Each and every report made will be promptly investigated to ensure a fair and honest election in Kentucky.”
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 Attorney General’s Office will be staged throughout the state on Election Day to immediately respond to complaints.
Beshear’s office coordinates election monitoring with the State Board of Elections, Secretary of State’s Office, Kentucky State Police, U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI, and Beshear’s staff reviews complaints and, when appropriate, refers them for further action.
The office answers the Election Law Violations Hotline on a daily basis throughout the year, though certainly with an expanded presence on primary and general election days, Beshear said.
Beshear said updates to his office’s hotline during Tuesday’s primary will be provided to the public and media on his website and through his social media.
Beshear’s office will update a dedicated webpage on his website – ag.ky.gov – throughout the day and notify the public and the media of the updates through social media: @kyoag on Twitter and Facebook.
The office will also provide the number and types of complaints received on the hotline leading up to tomorrow’s election.
The Office of the Attorney General, by law, cannot provide details regarding specific complaints or possible pending investigations.
Beshear noted that members of the news media covering the election are reminded 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.
