(A) (1) To fulfill county government’s obligation to protect voters and the integrity of the election process from actual or attempted fraud; obstruction; intimidation, real or inferred; attempted or actual vote buying; invasion of privacy; harassment, real, threatened or implied; and hindrances or delays, all done under the guise of electioneering, an electioneering-free zone is established within 300 feet of the unlocked entrances to any building containing a polling place on any election day (primary, general or special election). No person shall, on the day of any election as established in KRS 118.025, do any electioneering at the polling place or within a distance of 300 feet of any entrance to a building in which a voting machine is located, if that entrance is unlocked and used by voters on election day. No person shall, on the day of any election as established in KRS 118.025, intentionally invade the right of privacy of any person on his or her way to vote, or cause interference, harassment or alarm to any person on his or her way to vote. No person shall loiter or congregate in this 300-foot campaign-free zone, hinder or delay a voter, or solicit or attempt to influence any voter in casting his or her vote. No voter shall be permitted to converse with others while in any room in which voting, including absentee voting, is conducted concerning their support or nonsupport of any candidate, party or issue to be voted on, except as provided in KRS 117.255.
(2) Electioneering shall include the displaying of signs, the distribution of campaign literature, cards or handbills, the soliciting of signatures to any petition, or the solicitation of votes for or against any political party, candidate or question on the ballot in any manner, but shall not include exit polling.
(3) Nothing contained in this section shall prohibit electioneering conducted within the interior of a private residence or business establishment by a person having a leased or ownership interest in that private property or private establishment within the campaign-free zone, regardless of the distance from the polling place, provided that a free-standing sign or any accompaniment or instrument for same does not emit any sound and is not audio-visual or mechanical, and no sign may be larger than 4 square feet in size, as per the Versailles-Midway-Woodford County Zoning Ordinance.
(B) Any precinct election officer, County Clerk, Deputy County Clerk or any law enforcement official may enforce this section at the polls within 300 feet of the entrance(s) to the building used by voters in which the voting machine is located, as described in division (A) above. Assistance may be requested of the Woodford County Sheriff or of any law enforcement officer.
(C) Any property used for a polling location on election day shall not be considered a public place in any manner for public discourse. The grounds, buildings, sidewalks and parking lots at all polling locations are designated nonpublic forums for any and all election days.
(Ord. 2004-20, passed 8-24-2004) Penalty, see § 30.99