118.035 Hours polls to be open -- Employees to be allowed time off to vote, to apply for or execute absentee ballot, and to serve or train to be election officer. - Kentucky Statutes

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118.035 Hours polls to be open -- Employees to be allowed time off to vote, to apply for or execute absentee ballot, and to serve or train to be election officer. (1) The polls shall be opened on the day of a primary, special election, or regular election at 6 a.m., prevailing time, and shall remain open until each voter who is
waiting in line at the polls at 6 p.m., prevailing time, has voted. At 6 p.m.,
prevailing time, if voters are waiting at the polls to vote, the precinct election sheriff
shall announce that a voter wishing to vote must immediately get in line. When all
voters waiting at the polls at that time are in line, the precinct election sheriff shall
then determine which voter is the last in line, and that voter shall be the last voter
permitted to vote. The precinct election sheriff shall wait in line with the last voter
who shall be permitted to vote until that voter has voted and shall inform a voter
who subsequently arrives at the polls that no one shall be permitted to vote after the
last voter in line at 6 p.m., prevailing time. After the last voter waiting in line at 6
p.m., prevailing time, has voted, the polls shall then be closed. (2) As provided in Section 148 of the Constitution of Kentucky, any person entitled to a vote at any election in this state shall, if he has made application for leave prior to
the day he appears before the county clerk to request an application for or to execute
an absentee ballot, be entitled to absent himself from any services or employment in
which he is then engaged or employed for a reasonable time, but not less than four
(4) hours on the day he appears before the clerk to request an application for or to
execute an absentee ballot, during normal business hours of the office of the clerk
or to cast his ballot on the day of the election between the time of opening and
closing the polls. The employer may specify the hours during which an employee
may absent himself. (3) No person shall be penalized for taking a reasonable time off to vote, unless, under circumstances which did not prohibit him from voting, he fails to vote. Any
qualified voter who exercises his right to voting leave under this section but fails to
cast his vote, under circumstances which did not prohibit him from voting, may be
subject to disciplinary action. (4) Any person selected to serve as an election officer shall be entitled to absent himself from any services or employment in which he is then engaged or employed for a
period of an entire day to attend training or to serve as an election officer. The
person shall not, because of so absenting himself, be liable to any penalty. The
employer may specify the hours during which the employee may absent himself. No
person shall refuse an employee the privilege hereby conferred, or discharge or
threaten to discharge an employee or subject an employee to a penalty, because of
the exercise of the privilege. Effective: July 15, 2008
History: Amended 2008 Ky. Acts ch. 129, sec. 7, effective July 15, 2008. -- Amended 1998 Ky. Acts ch. 4, sec. 1, effective February 17, 1998. -- Amended 1990 Ky. Acts
ch. 26, sec. 1, effective July 13, 1990; and ch. 48, sec. 36, effective July 13, 1990. --
Amended 1988 Ky. Acts ch. 341, sec. 35, effective July 15, 1988. -- Amended 1986
Ky. Acts ch. 287, sec. 12, effective July 15, 1986. -- Created 1974 Ky. Acts ch. 130,
sec. 99, effective June 21, 1974.