The Races: Senate 18 - Fake Exit Polls Intimidate Voters
The word in the special election this morning is voter intimidation under the guise of "exit polling."
From Ronnie Ellis:
Les Fugate, deputy assistant secretary of state, said he began fielding complaints about exit polling at precincts in Carter and Lewis counties at 6:30 a.m.
He said exit pollers are asking voters before they enter the polls for personal information and also asking them to request a list from poll workers of who has already voted - which is illegal in Kentucky though not in all states.
Fugate said the apparent intent is to use that information to get voters for their candidates to the polls by identifying who has and who hasn't already voted.
"We got word (Monday) they'd be using exit polling, using it to determine who had voted," Fugate said. Exit polling is legal and often used by campaigns, political parties and media to predict election outcomes. But normally voters are asked to voluntarily identify how they voted as they leave the polls.
He said poll workers complained to the county clerks who contacted him.
"Asking for personal information such as names and phone numbers could be seen as voter intimidation," Fugate said. "But the law clearly says you can't have a check-off list of who has voted."
