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The Commonwealth’s chief law-enforcement official and chief elections officer came together Tuesday in the State Capitol to announce that they will once again be working together with agencies across Kentucky as part of a task force to prevent and investigate allegations of voter fraud during the Nov. 4, general election.
Attorney General Jack Conway and Secretary of State Trey Grayson discussed the importance of this year’s elections and how each office is working to protect the election from potential fraud.
The Office of the Attorney General has jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute violations of the Kentucky election laws.
By law, the Attorney General administers programs to observe the conduct of elections, maintains a toll-free hotline to receive reports of election law violations, investigates any such violations, takes appropriate enforcement action and conducts post-election audits based on random selection in counties throughout Kentucky.
The Election Fraud Hotline is (800) 328-VOTE (8683). The hotline is available throughout the year during normal business hours. On Nov. 4, calls will be received from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m.
"We need Kentucky voters to be our eyes and ears on election day," Conway said. "We will have about a dozen investigators from my office patrolling precincts throughout the Commonwealth, but we need citizens to join with us to ensure we have a fair election."
Grayson, who serves as the Chairman of the State Board of Elections, noted that the cooperation between the agencies had been "tremendous," but that many of these efforts require the help of citizens.
"The success of any election includes the vigilance of Kentucky citizens, and their reporting anything that they may find unusual concerning the election. I encourage all citizens to report any irregularities, both large and small, so that our agencies may work together to address these issues as quickly as possible. Together, we will work to ensure that every citizen can participate in a fair and honest election," said Grayson.
The State Board of Elections will also be fielding calls about the election from now through Election Day. Citizens are encouraged to contact their local county clerk or the State Board of Elections with general election concerns or for election information.
Officials from each agency have been meeting in recent weeks to prepare for the election, discussing any potential issues and problem areas.
