FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 8, 2012) — Attorney General Jack Conway’s election fraud hotline received 183 calls from nearly 60 counties between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. during Tuesday’s General Election. Four calls involved allegations of vote buying/selling. Prior to the General Election, the hotline received 46 calls, 11 of which were allegations of vote buying/selling.
Vote buying was alleged in Adair, Boyd, Clay, Floyd, Harlan, Jackson, Knott, Knox, Madison, Meade and Wolfe counties, Conway said.
The State Board of Elections and the Kentucky Election Integrity Task Force, chaired by Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, received 135 inquiries from 47 Kentucky counties regarding the election, including procedural issues, electioneering complaints, and questions regarding possible vote fraud and vote buying.
The state board addressed directly with local election officials many of the inquiries it received, including procedural questions, Grimes said. Allegations of criminal misconduct were referred to the United States Attorney and/or Conway’s for potential investigation. Neither the state board nor the attorney general provides details regarding specific complaints or possible pending investigations.
The attorney general’s office will “thoroughly review each complaint for possible criminal violations,” Conway said. “If an investigation is deemed necessary, the complaint will be referred to the appropriate agency.”
In addition to the hotline, investigators from Conway’s Department of Criminal Investigations patrolled precincts and polling places across the state to respond immediately to complaints.
During the presidential election in 2008, the election fraud hotline received 450 calls.
Tuesday’s election fraud hotline calls by issue
87 Procedural Questions
35 Voting Machines
23 Legal Questions
22 Election Officials
15 Voter Identification
15 Vote Buying/Selling
10 Electioneering within 300 feet of polls
7 Residency
7 General Election Fraud/Other
7 Special or Absentee Ballot
2 Voter Assistance
2 Campaign Finance
1 Campaign Violation
Top election fraud hotline calls by county
Jefferson—70 (32 procedural questions, 17 voting machine, 5 election official, 6 electioneering within 300 feet of polls, 2 general election fraud/other, 2 voter identification, 2 residency, 2 legal questions, 2 special or ballot)
Fayette—17 (2 election official, 7 procedural questions, 1 residency, 1 voting machine, 3 voter identification, 2 general election fraud/other, 1 legal question)
Jessamine—8 (4 procedural questions, 2 voting machines, 1 election official, 1 legal question)
Madison—7 (3 procedural questions, 2 voting machines, 1 legal question, 1 vote buying/selling)
Post-election audit
As required by statute, Conway’s office will select six counties in a random drawing and a post-election audit will be conducted in those counties. Each county will undergo independent inquiries for any potential irregularities that may have occurred during the Nov. 6 General Election.
The Kentucky Attorney General is required to conduct a post-election audit investigation in no fewer than five percent of Kentucky’s counties following each primary and general election. The counties are selected in a public drawing that must be done within 20 days of the election.
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