KRS 118.325: Nomination by convention or primary -- Vacancies -- Nominees by petition

-- Ineligibility of Senior Status Special Judge.

(1) Any political organization not constituting a political party within the meaning of

KRS 118.015 but whose candidate received two percent (2%) of the vote of the

state at the last preceding election for presidential electors may nominate, by a

convention or primary held by the party in accordance with its constitution and

bylaws, candidates for any offices to be voted fo r at any regular election, except the

office of member of a board of education, for which nominations shall be made as

provided in KRS 160.220. Any political party, as defined in KRS 118.015, and any

political organization not constituting such a political party but whose candidate

received two percent (2%) of the vote of the state at the last preceding election for

presidential electors, may nominate, by a convention or primary held by the party or

organization in accordance with its constitution and bylaw s, as many electors of

President and Vice President of the United States as this state is entitled to elect.

(2) The certificate of nomination by such a convention or primary shall be in writing,

shall contain the name of each person nominated, his or her residence, and the

office to which he or she is nominated, and shall designate a title for the party or

principle that such convention or primary represents, together with any simple

figure or device by which its list of candidates may be designated on the ballots.

The certificate shall be signed by the presiding officer and secretary of the

convention, or by the chair and secretary of the county, city, or district committee,

who shall add to their signatures their respective places of residence, and

acknowledge the same before an officer duly authorized to administer oaths. A

certificate of the acknowledgment shall be appended to the certificate of

nomination. In the case of electors of President and Vice President of the United

States the certificate of no mination shall state the names of the candidates of the

party for President and Vice President.

(3) Any person desiring to become a candidate for an office, the nomination to which is

to be made by a convention pursuant to subsections (1) and (2) of this s ection,

except for the office of elector of President and Vice President of the United States,

shall file a statement with the official designated in KRS 118.165 with whom

notification and declaration forms are filed for the office. The form of the stateme nt

shall be prescribed by the State Board of Elections. Such statement shall be filed as

prescribed by KRS 118.365.

(4) If the certificate of nomination of any state convention requests that the figure or

device selected by such convention be used to designate the candidates of such party

on the ballots for all elections throughout the state, that figure or device shall be

used until changed by request of a subsequent state convention of the same party.

The device may be any appropriate symbol other than th e coat of arms or seal of

this state or of the United States, the national flag, or any other emblem common to

the people at large.

(5) In case of death, resignation, or removal of any such candidate subsequent to

nomination and before the certification of candidates for the regular election made

under KRS 118.215, the chair of the state, county, or city district committee shall

fill the vacancy, unless a supplemental certificate or petition of nomination is filed.

In the case of electors of President and V ice President of the United States, a

vacancy may be filled by the chair of the state committee at any time before the

meeting of the electors, whether the vacancy occurs before or after the election.

(6) If any political party entitled to nominate by conv ention fails to do so, the names of

all nominees by petition for any office who are designated in their petition as

members and candidates of that party shall be printed under the device and title on

the ballots as if nominated by a convention. If two (2) or more persons who have

filed certificates of nomination under this section claim to be the nominee of the

same political party, the governing authority of that party shall designate to the

Secretary of State and county clerk, in writing, which of the candidates is entitled to

the party emblem. If there are two (2) or more contending executive committees of

the same party in the county or district, the county or district executive committee

that is recognized by the state governing authority of the party, by the written

certificate of its chair, shall be recognized by the Secretary of State and county

clerk.

(7) A judge who elected to retire as a Senior Status Special Judge in accordance with

KRS 21.580 shall not become a candidate or a nominee for any elec ted office

during the five (5) year term prescribed in KRS 21.580(1)(a)1., regardless of the

number of days served by the judge acting as a Senior Status Special Judge.