Some Kentuckians have reported a scam that apparently seeks to gain personal information from voters by convincing them they can vote by email, text or a phone call, according to a joint statement from Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams and Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
Voting by email, text or a phone call is not legal in Kentucky, Adams reminded voters.
Cameron, in a news release, said, “It’s important for Kentuckians to be on guard against voting scams during the primary season and never provide your personal or financial information to an unknown source. We encourage anyone who encounters a potential voting scam to report it immediately to our Election Fraud Hotline at 1-800-328-VOTE.”
To avoid becoming a victim of election fraud, Cameron and Adams said voters should:
- Disregard callers mentioning you can vote by email, phone, or text.
- Understand that anyone who asks for payment in exchange for the ability to vote is a scammer. Report such action to the Election Fraud Hotline immediately.
- Never provide personal or financial information including your social security number, bank account, or credit or debit card to an unknown source.
- Follow voting instructions from reputable sources, including the Office of the Secretary of State, state and county boards of elections, and your local county clerk’s office.
Kentucky’s primary election is Tuesday. It was delayed a month because of the novel coronavirus. Other changes included the option of mail-in ballots for all voters. The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot was June 15, and voters must return them in the mail with a post mark no later than June 23. In Christian County, they may also return them in person to the Christian County Courthouse by 6 p.m. Tuesday.
All Christian County voters who want to cast a ballot in person on Tuesday will vote at the county’s only polling place, the James E. Bruce Convention Center on Lovers Lane, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
(Jennifer P. Brown is the editor and founder of Hoptown Chronicle. Reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org.)
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
