1) No Person shall be appointed or promoted to, or demoted or dismissed from, any position
in the classified service, or in any way favored or discriminated against with respect to
employment in the classified services because of his political or religious opinions or
affiliations or ethnic origin or sex or handicap. No person between the ages of forty (40)
and seventy (70) shall be discriminated against because of age.
2) No person shall use or promise to use, directly or indirectly, any official authority
or influence, whether possessed or anticipated, to secure or attempt to secure for any
person an appointment or advantage in appointment to a position in the classified service,
or an increase in pay or other advantage in employment in any such position, for the
purpose of influencing the vote or political action of any person.
3) No employee in the classified service or member of the board or its executive director
or commissioner shall, directly or indirectly, pay or promise to pay any assessment for
political purposes or solicit or take any part in soliciting for any political party, or
solicit or take any any part in soliciting any political assessment, subscription,
contribution, or service. No person shall solicit any political assessment, subscription,
contribution, or service of any employee in the classified service.
4) No employee in the classified service or member of the board or its executive director
shall be a member of any national, state, or local committee of a political party, or an
officer or member of a committee of a partisan political club, or a candidate for
nomination or election to any paid public office, or shall take part in the management or
affairs of any political party or in any political campaign, except to his right as a
citizen privately to express his opinion and to cast his vote. Officers or employees of
the classified service may be candidates for and occupy a town or school district if the
office is one for which no compensation, other than a per diem payment, is provided and
the election is on a nonpartisan basis.
RELATES TO: KRS 18A.140
PURSUANT TO: KRS 13A, KRS 18A.030; KRS 18A.040; KRS 18A.075; 18A.110
NECESSITY AND FUNCTION: KRS 18A.140 prohibits certain political activities by the
classified employees. The following regulation defines permissible and impermissible
political activities.
1) Registration and voting. Classified employees may register and vote in any election.
2) Expression of Opinions. All persons subject to the Personnel Rules have a right to
privately express their opinions on all political subjects and candidates, but they may
not take an active part in political management and in political campaigns.
3) Contributions. It is lawful for classified employees to make voluntary cash
contributions to political parties, candidates or organizations; provided, however, it
shall be unlawful for classified employees to make contributions of goods, labor and
services.
4) Membership in political clubs. Classified employees may join a
political club and attend its meetings but may not hold office or serve on committees of
the club.
5) Attendance at political rallies, conventions, etc. Employees
covered by the classified service may attend political rallies and conventions and may
participate in the selection of committeemen and committeewomen. Additionally, employees
covered by the classified service may vote at the lowest level of the selection process
for delegates to the party conventions.
6) Political pictures and signs. It is lawful for classified employees to voluntarily
display political signs on their property.
7) Badges, buttons, and stickers. It is lawful for classified employees to wear political
badges or buttons and voluntarily display political stickers on their private automobiles;
provided, however, that no political buttons, badges or other such designations may be
worn by any classified employee of the Commonwealth while the employee is on official duty
or while such employee is conducting official business for the Commonwealth.
8) Precinct election officers - polls. Classified employees may serve as precinct election
officers at the polls.
9) Constitutional Amendments, Referendums, etc. Classified employees may work actively for
or against constitutional amendments, referendums, municipal ordinances.
10) Transporting voters. Employees under the classified service while on their own time
may drive friends or relatives to the polls as a civic gesture, but may not transport
voters to the polls as an organized service to a political party, faction, or candidate.
1) Political party involvement. Classified employees are prohibited from serving on or for
any political committee, party, or other similar organization, or serving as a delegate or
alternate to a caucus or party convention, but may vote in the selection of delegates to a
party convention and in the selection of precinct committeemen and committeewomen.
2) Political contributions. A classified employee is prohibited from soliciting or
handling political contributions.
3) Political party tickets. A classified employee is prohibited from soliciting the sale
of or selling political party, faction, or candidate items or tickets, but a classified
employee may voluntarily purchase such items or tickets.
4) Political club involvement. A classified employee is prohibited from serving as an
officer of a political club, as a member or officer of any of its committees, of
addressing such a club on any partisan political matters, or of being active in organizing
it.
5) Political meetings and rallies. A classified employee is prohibited from serving in
connection with preparation for, organizing it or conducting a political meeting or rally
or addressing such a meeting on any partisan political matter therein except to vote.
6) Partisan activity at election polls. A classified employee is prohibited from engaging
in partisan activity at the polls (at primary or regular elections) in the position of
checker, challenger, or watcher, or in soliciting votes and assisting voters to mark
ballots.
7) Candidacy for office. A classified employee is prohibited from becoming a candidate for
nomination or election to any office, Federal, State, county, or municipal, which is to be
filled in an election in which party candidates are involved or for which compensation is
paid (other than a per diem for school district office); or from soliciting others to
become candidates for nomination or election to such offices.
8) Campaign literature distribution. A classified employee is prohibited from distributing
campaign literature or material.
9) Nominating petitions. A classified employee is prohibited from initiating or
circulating partisan political nomination petitions.
10) Solicitation of political support. A classified employee is prohibited from canvassing
a district or soliciting political support for a party, faction, or candidate, either in
person or in writing.
- Each appointing authority shall post, in a form prescribed by the Department of
Personnel, a copy or copies of KRS 18A.140 and this regulation in a central area
accessible to all classified employees of that cabinet, department or agency.
- Each appointing authority shall furnish a copy of KRS 18A.140 and this regulation in
a form prescribed by the Department of Personnel to all employees and require them to sign
and acknowledgement of receipt which shall be placed in the employee's personnel folder.
Last Updated: Friday, April 03, 1998