The claims amassed thousands of shares on social media Tuesday after reports of a gas leak at Highland Baptist Church in Louisville caused polls there to close for about 30 minutes while Louisville Gas & Electric investigated the issue. The delay prompted a judge to extend voting at the church until 6:30 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. EST.
Social media users questioned whether the gas leak was real and insinuated that extended voting hours in a Democratic county gave Beshear the votes he needed to win.
The delay was prompted by a legitimate report of gas emitting from a stove in the church, said Chris Whelan, a spokesperson for Louisville Gas & Electric. Gas was detected, but not at hazardous levels, she said. The stove was turned off and it dissipated.
“This was a legitimate instance of a gas leak so any claims otherwise, we just think are patently absurd,” Erran Huber of the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office said.
Huber added that only one voter came to cast a ballot between 6 and 6:30 p.m. at either of the two polling places in the county where a judge extended voting hours. The other polling place, an elementary school, was temporarily shut down Tuesday morning because of a police pursuit.
This was a legitimate instance of a gas leak so any claims otherwise, we just think are patently absurd.