{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-117.265","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 117.265","heading":"Write -in votes -- Requirements -- Persons ineligible to be write -in","body":"candidate -- Certified lists of qualified candidates.\n(1) A voter may, at any regular or special election, cast a write -in vote for any person\nqualified as provided in su bsection (2) or (3) of this section whose name does not\nappear upon the ballot for any office by writing the name of his or her choice upon\nthe appropriate ballot for the office being voted on as required by KRS 117.125.\nAny candidate who is defeated or di squalified in a partisan or nonpartisan primary\nshall be ineligible as a candidate for the same office in the regular election, unless\nthere is a vacancy pursuant to KRS 118.105(3). Any voter utilizing a federal\nprovisional ballot, a federal provisional in -person absentee ballot, or a mail -in\nabsentee ballot for a regular or special election may write in a vote for any eligible\nperson whose name does not appear upon the ballot by writing the name of his or\nher choice under the office.\n(2) Write-in votes shall be counted only for candidates for election to office who have\nfiled a declaration of intent to be a write -in candidate with the Secretary of State or\ncounty clerk, depending on the office being sought, on or before the certification\ndeadlines establish ed in KRS 118.215(1)(a) to (c) and 118A.090(2) and not later\nthan the second Friday before the date of a special election. In the case of a special\nelection administered under KRS 118.730, a declaration of intent to be a write -in\ncandidate shall be filed a t least twenty -eight (28) days before the day of the\nelection. The declaration of intent shall be filed no earlier than the first Wednesday\nafter the first Monday in November of the year preceding the year the office will\nappear on the ballot, and no later  than 4 p.m. local time at the place of filing when\nfiled on the last date on which papers may be filed. The declaration of intent shall\nbe on a form prescribed and furnished by the Secretary of State.\n(3) A person shall not be eligible as a write-in candidate:\n(a) For more than one (1) office in a regular or special election; or\n(b) If his or her name appears upon the ballot for any office, except that the\ncandidate may file a notice of withdrawal prior to filing an intent to be a\nwrite-in candidate for of fice when a vacancy in a different office occurs\nbecause of:\n1. Death;\n2. Disqualification to hold the office sought;\n3. Severe disabling condition which arose after the nomination; or\n4. The nomination of an unopposed candidate.\n(4) Persons who wish to run for President and Vice President shall file a declaration of\nintent to be a write-in candidate, along with a list of presidential electors pledged to\nthose candidates, with the Secretary of State on or before the certification deadlines\nestablished in KRS 118.215(1)(a) to (c) and 118A.090(2). The declaration of intent\nshall be filed no earlier than the first Wednesday after the first Monday in\nNovember of the year preceding the year the office will appear on the ballot, and no\nlater than 4 p.m. local time at the place of filing when filed on the last date on\nwhich papers may be filed. Write -in votes cast for the candidates whose names\nappear on the ballot shall apply to the slate of pledge d presidential electors, whose\nnames shall not appear on the ballot.\n(5) The county clerk shall provide to the precinct election officers certified lists of\nthose persons who have filed declarations of intent as provided in subsections (2)\nand (3) of this section. These lists shall not be posted anywhere, but a voter may\nrequest to see a copy of the list. Once the voter has reviewed the copy, it shall\nimmediately be returned to the precinct election officer. Only write-in votes cast for\nqualified candidates shall be counted.\n(6) Two (2) election officers of opposing parties shall upon the request of any voter\ninstruct the voter on how to cast a write-in vote.","path":["KRS Chapter 117"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=56994","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:50:12Z","sha256":"3dfd8efbdb206c2c385f44f258b47274614a802bd035059e3b4ba02ca511f84f","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-117.260","next":"us-ky/krs-117.270"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}