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Candidate Qualifications, Filing Officer and Filing Fees

If you have any questions regarding the information below, please contact the Secretary of State's Office or your County Clerk. Also, you can go to the Registry of Election Finance to obtain more candidate information.

   A publication titled " Declaring Your Candidacy" has been produced by the Secretary of State which has useful information including candidate filing procedures, sample forms for attaining ballot access, and qualifications for each elective office.  Also, the guide includes other important and pertinent election information that may affect candidates.  The manual contains an election schedule, sample filing forms of various types, contact information for state election agencies, and answers to candidates’ most frequently asked questions.  

     Copies of Declaring Your Candidacy are available on the Office of the Secretary of State’s website at www.sos.ky.gov/elections.

 

Qualification and Filing Information

 

Office

Qualifications

Authority

Filing Office

Filing Fee*

President

(4 year term)

Must be at least 35 years of age, a natural born citizen, been 14 years a resident within the United States.

U.S. Const. Art. II, § 1

Secretary of State

Primary

$1,000.00

General

$500.00

Vice President

(4 year term)

Must be at least 35 years of age, a natural born citizen, been 14 years a resident within the United States.

U.S. Const. Art. II, § 1

   

U.S. Senate (Staggered 6 year term)

Must be at least 30 years of age, a U.S. citizen for 9 years, and, when elected, an inhabitant of the State for which he is chosen.

U.S. Const. Art. I, § 3

Secretary of State

$500.00

U.S. House

(2 year term)

Must be at least 25 years of age, a U.S. citizen for 7 years, and, when elected, and inhabitant of the State for which he is chosen.

U. S. Const. Art. I,§ 2

Secretary of State

$500.00

Governor

(4 year term)

Must be at least 30 years of age, and have been a citizen and resident of Kentucky for at least 6 years next preceding his election.

Ky. Const. § 72

Secretary of State

$500.00

Lieutenant Governor

(4 year term)

Must be at least 30 years of age, and have been a citizen and resident of Kentucky for at least 6 years next preceding his election.

Ky. Const. § 72

   

Attorney General

(4 year term)

Must be at least 30 years of age at the time of his election, shall have been a resident citizen of the State at least 2 years next before his election, and shall have been a practicing lawyer eight years before his election.

Ky. Const. § 91,

§ 92

Secretary of State

$500.00

Secretary of State

(4 year term)

Must be at least 30 years of age at the time of his election, and shall have been a resident citizen of the State at least 2 years next before his election.

Ky. Const. § 91

Secretary of State

$500.00

Auditor of Public Accounts

(4 year term)

Must be at least 30 years of age at the time of his election, and shall have been a resident citizen of the State at least 2 years next before his election.

Ky. Const. § 91

Secretary of State

$500.00

Treasurer of State

(4 year term)

Must be at least 30 years of age at the time of his election, and shall have been a resident citizen of the State at least 2 years next before his election.

Ky. Const. § 91

Secretary of State

$500.00

Commissioner of Agriculture

(4 year term)

Must be at least 30 years of age at the time of his election, and shall have been a resident citizen of the State at least 2 years next before his election.

Ky. Const. § 91

Secretary of State

$500.00

State Senator (Staggered 4 year term)

At the time of election, must be at least 30 years of age, a citizen of Kentucky, resided in the State 6 years next preceding his election, and the last year thereof in the district for which he may be chosen.

Ky. Const. § 32

Secretary of State

$200.00

State House

(2 year term)

At the time of election, must be at least 24 years of age, a citizen of Kentucky, resided in the State 2 years next preceding his election, and the last year thereof in the county, town or city, which he may be chosen.

Ky. Const. § 32

Secretary of State

$200.00

 

Office

Qualifications

Authority

Filing Office

Filing Fee*

Supreme Court Justice

(Staggered 8 year term)

Must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of both the Commonwealth, and of the district from which he is elected for 2 years next preceding his taking office and licensed to practice law in the courts of the Commonwealth and a licensed attorney for at least 8 years.

Ky. Const. § 122

Secretary of State

$200.00

Judge of the Court of Appeals

(8 year term)

Must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of both the Commonwealth and of the district from which he is elected for 2 years next preceding his taking office and licensed to practice law in the courts of the Commonwealth, and a licensed attorney for at least 8 years.

Ky. Const. § 122

Secretary of State

$200.00

Circuit Judge

(8 year term)

Must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of both the Commonwealth and of the district from which he is elected for 2 years next preceding his taking office and licensed to practice law in the courts of the Commonwealth, and a licensed attorney for at least 8 years.

Ky. Const. § 122

Secretary of State

$200.00

District Judge

(4 year term)

Must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of both the Commonwealth and of the district from which he is elected for 2 years next preceding his taking office and licensed to practice law in the courts of the Commonwealth, and a licensed attorney for at least 2 years.

Ky. Const. § 122

Secretary of State

$200.00

Commonwealth’s Attorney

(6 year term)

At the time of election, must be at least 24 years of age, a citizen of Kentucky, has resided in the State 2 years, and one year next preceding his election in the county and district in which he is a candidate, and have been a licensed practicing lawyer for 4 years.

Ky. Const. § 100

County Clerk if representing only one county.

All others file with the Secretary of State.

$200.00

Circuit Court Clerk

(6 year term)

At the time of election, must be at least 21 years of age, a citizen of Kentucky, has resided in the State 2 years, and one year next preceding his election in the county and district in which he is a candidate, and that he is qualified for the office for which he is a candidate.

Additional Requirement: must receive a passing grade of 70% or more on a written examination prepared and administered by the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Ky. Const. § 100

SCR 1.060

County Clerk

$50.00

County Judge/ Executive

(4 year term)

At the time of election, must be at least 24 years of age, a citizen of Kentucky, has resided in the State 2 years, and one year next preceding his election in the county and district in which he is a candidate.

Ky. Const. § 100

County Clerk

$50.00

County Clerk

(4 year term)

At the time of election, must be at least 21 years of age, a citizen of Kentucky, has resided in the State 2 years, and one year next preceding his election in the county and district in which he is a candidate.

Ky. Const. § 100

County Clerk

$50.00

 

Office

Qualifications

Authority

Filing Office

Filing Fee*

County Attorney

(4 year term)

At the time of election, must be at least 24 years of age, a citizen of Kentucky, has resided in the State 2 years, and one year next preceding his election in the county in which he is a candidate, and have been a licensed practicing lawyer for 2 years.

Ky. Const. § 100

County Clerk

$50.00

Sheriff

(4 year term)

At the time of election, must be at least 24 years of age, a citizen of Kentucky, has resided in the State 2 years, and one year next preceding his election in the county and district in which he is a candidate.

Ky. Const. § 100

County Clerk

$50.00

Jailer

(4 year term)

At the time of election, must be at least 24 years of age, a citizen of Kentucky, has resided in the State 2 years, and one year next preceding his election in the county and district in which he is a candidate.

The General Assembly has consolidated the offices of sheriff and jailer in counties containing a city of the first class and in urban county governments.

KY Const. § 100

KRS 71.110

County Clerk

$50.00

Coroner

(4 year term)

At the time of election, must be at least 24 years of age, a citizen of Kentucky, has resided in the State 2 years, and one year next preceding his election in the county and district in which he is a candidate.

Ky. Const. § 100

County Clerk

$50.00

Property Valuation Administrator

(4 year term)

At the time of election, must be at least 24 years of age, a citizen of Kentucky, has resided in the State 2 years, and one year next preceding his election in the county and district in which he is a candidate.

Additional requirement: must possess a certificate issued by the Revenue Cabinet showing that he has been examined by it and that he is qualified for the office.

Ky. Const. § 100

KRS 132.380

County Clerk

$50.00

Surveyor

(4 year term)

At the time of election, must be at least 24 years of age, a citizen of Kentucky, has resided in the State 2 years, and one year next preceding his election in the county and district in which he is a candidate.

Ky. Const.

§ 100

County Clerk

$50.00

Magistrate/Justice of the Peace

(4 year term)

At the time of election, must be at least 24 years of age, a citizen of Kentucky, has resided in the State 2 years, and one year next preceding his election in the county and district in which he is a candidate.

Ky. Const.

§ 100 § 234

County Clerk

$50.00

Commissioner

(4 year term)

At the time of election, must be at least 24 years of age, a citizen of Kentucky, has resided in the State 2 years, and one year next preceding his election in the county and district in which he is a candidate.

KRS 67.060

County Clerk

$50.00

 

Office

Qualifications

Authority

Filing Office

Filing Fee*

Constable

(4 year term)

At the time of election, must be at least 24 years of age, a citizen of Kentucky, has resided in the State 2 years, and one year next preceding his election in the county and district in which he is a candidate. (Shall possess the same qualifications as Sheriffs)

Ky. Const.

§ 100, § 101

County Clerk

$50.00

Mayor**

(Staggered 4 year term)

Must be at least 25 years of age, a resident of the city for one year, a qualified voter in the city, and shall reside in the city throughout his term of office.

KRS 83A.040(1)

County Clerk

5th or 6th class city

$20.00

All others

$50.00

Legislative Body** (2 year term)

Must be at least 21 years of age, a resident of the city for one year, a qualified voter in the city, and shall reside in the city throughout his term of office.

KRS

83A.040 (4)

County Clerk

5th or 6th class city

$20.00

All others

$50.00

School Board Member

(Staggered 4 year term)

Must be at least 24 years of age, a citizen of Kentucky for at least 3 years preceding the election, a voter of the district for which he is elected, completed at least the 12th grade or has been issued a GED certificate or has received a high school diploma in the external diploma program, and files an affidavit certifying completion of the 12th grade or the equivalent with his nominating petition. The candidate must not hold a state office requiring the constitutional oath or be a member of the General Assembly, nor may he hold or discharge the duties of any civil or political office, deputyship, or agency under the city or county of his residence, nor at the time of election is directly or indirectly interested in the sale to the board of services, supplies, or equipment purchased with school funds, nor has been removed from a board of education for cause, nor has a relative employed by the school district.

KRS

160.180 (2)

County Clerk

$20.00

Write-In Candidates

(Only allowed in General elections)

See qualifications for desired office.

KRS 117.265

KRS 118.255

See filing officer for desired office.

$20.00 for 5th and 6th class city

All others

$50.00

 

* Site for filing fees: KRS118.255

**Legislative Council of Greater Louisville and Greater Louisville Mayor filing qualifications are governed by KRS 67C.103 and 67C.105.

Article 4 of the Lexington Fayette Urban-County charter governs Lexington Fayette Urban-County Government Mayor and Council filing qualifications.

 

Last Updated 9/1/2006
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