CANDIDATE FILING FORMS ARE NOW FILLABLE ONLINE
Click on the button below to go to the Secretary of State website at sos.ky.gov. This site has the candidate requirements and petition and nomination paperwork.
HOW TO BE A CANDIDATE
STEP ONE:
STEP TWO:
KENTUCKY REGISTRY OF ELECTION FINANCE FORMS
Click on the button below for the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance (KREF). You must have an online account. Create your account under the e-filing option.
STEP THREE:
FILE YOUR NOMINATING PETITION WITH THE FILING OFFICIAL (COUNTY CLERK OR SECRETARY OF STATE)
The Kenton County Board of Elections does not have the statutory authority to review or investigate a candidate’s qualifications. Per KRS 118.165(2), the County Clerk’s office is to review the “face” of a candidate’s form and declaration. The Clerk’s office will not verify the contents of a candidate’s documents including qualifications, party affiliation, witness signatures or residence requirements.
If you need voter data for campaign materials you need to contact the State Board of Elections. You will need the list of precincts and their codes before filing out this form: SBE 84 Request for Voter Registration Data 07-2022 – FILLABLE Please call the Voter office at 859-392-1620 to get your precinct codes.
FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL ELECTION SCHEDULE
ALL COUNTY OFFICES FILING FEE $50.00
ALL CITY OFFICES FILING FEE $50.00
SCHEDULE FOR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL BOARDS
SCHEDULE FOR KENTON COUNTY SCHOOLS
Additional information is on the Kentucky School Board Association website: www.ksba.org/RunningforSchoolBoardinKentucky.aspx
ALL SCHOOL BOARDS FILING FEE $20.00
SOIL AND CONSERVATION FILING FEE $20.00
We accept cash, checks or money orders. Make your payment out to Kenton County Clerk.
Return your completed petition prior to the deadline in case there are any mistakes that need to be corrected. Please make sure there is a phone number for us to contact you.
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FILLING OUT YOUR CANDIDATE FORMS: Please read your paperwork carefully and review KRS 118.129.
KRS 118.129 Spelling and form of candidate’s name on ballot.
(1) The Secretary of State or the county clerk, as appropriate, shall certify the exact spelling and form of the name of the candidate to be printed on all ballots in accordance with the requirements listed in this section.
(2) A candidate’s nickname which is found to be, in the discretion of the Secretary of State or the county clerk, as appropriate, a title, rank, degree, job description, or spurious phrase shall be placed on the ballot only if it is the candidate’s bona fide nickname, generally used by acquaintances of the candidate in the county of residence to refer to the candidate, and if the nickname is acknowledged, by affidavit, under oath, by five (5) residents of the county in which the candidate resides, to be a bona fide nickname. The candidate shall also acknowledge, by affidavit under oath, that this is his bona fide nickname and is not being used to gain an advantage on the ballot.
BASICALLY THIS MEANS NO FORMAL TITLES (IE “Dr.” before a name or even “JD” after a name
(3) A nickname shall always appear set off in quotation marks and immediately before the last name. Periods shall follow all abbreviations or initials. Additional qualifiers following the last name, such as “Jr” or “III” shall not be separated from the last name by a comma and shall be followed by a period.
BASICALLY YOU USE JUST YOUR NICKNAME ON THE BALLOT, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE BOTH YOUR FORMAL AND NICKNAME.
(4) The candidate’s name shall always appear in the following form: first or given name or initial; middle name or names or initials, if desired by the candidate; nickname if desired by the candidate; and last or surname in full. All names shall be in substantially the following form: John Lincoln “Jack” Doe; or J. Lincoln “Jack” Doe; or J. L. “Jack” Doe Jr.; or any of the above combinations without the intervening nickname.
(5) The total number of spaces, inclusive of letters, spaces, and punctuation, which may be utilized on the ballot for a candidate’s name and, if any, nickname, shall be twenty-five (25). Notwithstanding the listing of the candidate’s name on the filing papers, spaces, periods, quotation marks, and commas necessary for proper punctuation shall be added by the Secretary of State or the county clerk, as appropriate. No candidate’s name shall exceed twenty-five (25) spaces. The Secretary of State or the county clerk, as appropriate, shall determine the correct listing for any candidate whose name exceeds twenty-five (25) spaces to conform to this requirement.