Penalties for falsely personating a voter or voting by nonresident or unqualified person or convicted felon
KRS 119.165
in effect119.165. Penalties for falsely personating a voter or voting by nonresident or unqualified person or convicted felon
(1) Any person who falsely personates a registered voter, and receives and casts a ballot by means of such personation, shall be guilty of a Class D felony. An attempt at such personation shall constitute a Class A misdemeanor.
(2) Any person who, by means other than falsely personating a registered voter, votes at an election in this state when he or she is a resident of another state or country, or votes more than once at an election, or votes by use of the naturalization papers of another person, shall be guilty of a Class D felony. Any person who knowingly votes or attempts to vote in a precinct other than the one in which he or she resides shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor, unless by voting in a precinct in which he or she does not live he is enabled to vote in a race or on a matter in which he or she could not vote in his or her proper precinct in which case he or she shall be guilty of a Class D felony. Any person who lends or hires his, hers, or another's naturalization papers to be used for the purpose of voting shall be subject to the same penalty.
(3) Any person who has been convicted of a felony offense and has not previously been restored to their voting rights who then knowingly votes or attempts to vote shall be guilty of a Class D felony.
(4) Any resident of this state who, by means other than falsely personating a registered voter, votes before he or she has become a citizen, shall be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.
(5) Any person who, by means other than falsely personating a registered voter, votes in a primary election knowing that he or she is not qualified as provided in KRS 116.055, shall be guilty of a violation.
(6) Any person who applies for or receives a ballot at any voting place other than the one at which he or she is entitled to vote, under circumstances not constituting a violation of any of the provisions of subsections (1) to (3) of this section, shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
Effective: April 14, 2026
History: Amended 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 175, sec. 18, effective April 14, 2026. -- Amended 2025 Ky. Acts ch. 125, sec. 23, effective June 27, 2025. -- Amended 2023 Ky. Acts ch. 74, sec. 7, effective June 29, 2023. -- Amended 1992 Ky. Acts ch. 463, sec. 12, effective July 14, 1992. -- Amended 1990 Ky. Acts ch. 48, sec. 74, effective July 13, 1990. -- Created 1974 Ky. Acts ch. 130, sec. 77.
Source: Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (legislature.ky.gov)URL: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=57007Fetched: 10/20/2026