Kentucky Clerks Block Federal Monitors From Polling Sites

Kentucky election officials in Jefferson and Fayette counties declared on Monday that they will prevent federal monitors from entering polling locations. The decision follows a notice from the U.S. Department of Justice stating the agency intends to send observers to watch voting in these two specific areas.

The Jefferson County Clerk’s Office provided a formal response to the Department of Justice. In that letter, the office listed several alternatives to physical presence, including the assignment of a dedicated liaison and the scheduling of a pre-election briefing. The clerk’s office noted that the DOJ failed to submit a requested memorandum of understanding outlining their specific plans after a meeting was held.

County Clerk David Yates stated that the federal notice was not a request. He pointed out that the email did not explain why Jefferson and Fayette were selected, noting they hold the largest numbers of Democrat-registered voters in the state. Yates described the monitors as civil volunteers rather than law enforcement officers.

Yates said that if the monitors cross a standard 100-foot boundary from the entrance, his office may call local police. He explained that anyone violating the distance requirement is held to the same laws as other non-voters. The Justice Department’s letter specified that monitors would be plain-clothed and unarmed.

The federal monitors are tasked with watching for compliance with voting rights laws regarding minority languages and disabilities. However, no Kentucky county is currently designated under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act for minority language protections. The DOJ’s notice to Kentucky was nearly identical to letters sent to election officers in other states, including Indiana.

A spokesperson for the Kentucky State Board of Elections issued a statement supporting the county position. The statement reminded the monitors that they must follow state law, which requires anyone not casting a ballot to stay at least 100 feet from the entrance. The spokesperson added that attempting to intimidate a voter or interfere with an election officer could result in a Class D felony.

Yates told the Jefferson County Board of Elections that political parties had not selected any challengers for the upcoming election. The deadline to register these approved poll watchers has already passed.