{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-118a.060","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 118A.060","heading":"Petition for nomination -- Examination of petition -- Form and order of","body":"names on ballot -- Duties of Secretary of State -- Ballot position unalterable --\nCertification of nomination.      (Effective until January 1, 2027)\n(1) Except as provided in KRS 118A.100, no person's name shall appear on a ballot,\nincluding an absentee ballot, for an office of the Court of Justice without first\nhaving been nominated as provided in this section.\n(2) Each candidate for nomination shall file a petition for nom ination with the\nSecretary of State not earlier than the first Wednesday after the first Monday in\nNovember of the year preceding the year in which the office will appear on the\nballot and not later than the first Friday following the first Monday in Janua ry\npreceding the day fixed by law for holding the primary for the office. The petition\nshall be sworn to before an officer authorized to administer an oath by the candidate\nand by not less than two (2) registered voters from the district or circuit from wh ich\nhe or she seeks nomination. Signatures for nomination papers shall not be affixed\non the document to be filed prior to the first Wednesday after the first Monday in\nNovember of the year preceding the year in which the office will appear on the\nballot. The petition shall be filed no later than 4 p.m. local time at the place of filing\nwhen filed on the last date on which the papers are permitted to be filed.\n(3) (a) The petition for nomination shall be in the form prescribed by the Secretary of\nState. The petition shall include a declaration sworn to by the candidate, that\nhe or she possesses all the constitutional and statutory requirements of the\noffice for which the candidate has filed. Titles, ranks, or spurious phrases\nshall not be accepted on the pet ition and shall not be printed on the ballots as\npart of the candidate's name; however, nicknames, initials, and contractions of\ngiven names may be acceptable as the candidate's name.\n(b) The Secretary of State shall certify the exact spelling and form of the name of\nthe candidate to be printed on all ballots in accordance with the requirements\nlisted in KRS 118.129.\n(4) The Secretary of State shall examine the petition of each candidate to determine\nwhether it is regular on its face. If there is an error, the Secretary of State shall\nnotify the candidate by certified mail within twenty -four (24) hours of filing. The\norder of names on the ballot for each district or circuit, and numbered division if\ndivisions exist, shall be determined by lot at a public dra wing to be held in the\noffice of the Secretary of State at 2 p.m., standard time, on the Thursday following\nthe filing deadline for the primary as established in this section and in KRS\n83A.045 and 118.165.\n(5) Not later than the date set forth in KRS 118. 215(1)(a) preceding the primary, and\nafter the order of names on the ballot has been determined as required in subsection\n(4) of this section, the Secretary of State shall:\n(a) Certify to the county clerks of the respective counties entitled to participate  in\nthe election of the various candidates, the name and place of residence of each\ncandidate for each office, by district or circuit, and numbered division if\ndivisions exist, as specified in the petitions for nomination filed with him or\nher; and\n(b) Designate for the county clerks the office of the Court of Justice with which\nthe names of candidates shall be printed and the order in which they are to\nappear on the ballot.\n(6) The ballot position of a candidate shall not be changed after the ballot position has\nbeen designated by the Secretary of State.\n(7) The county clerks of each county shall cause to be printed on the ballots for the\nprimary the names of the candidates for offices in the Court of Justice.\n(8) The names of the candidates shall be placed on the ballots in a separate column or\ncolumns or in a separate line or lines and identified by the words \"Judicial Ballot.\"\nThe words \"Vote for one,\" or \"Vote for one in each division,\" shall be printed on\nthe ballot in an appropriate location. The office, numbered division if divisions\nexist, and the candidates shall be clearly labeled. No party designation or emblem\nof any kind, nor any sign indicating any candidate's politic al belief or party\naffiliation, shall be used on the ballots.\n(9) The two (2) candidates receiving the highest number of votes for nomination for\njustice or judge of a district or circuit, or numbered division if divisions exist, shall\nbe nominated. Certif icates of nomination shall be issued as provided in KRS\n118A.190.\n(10) If it appears after expiration of the time for filing petitions for nomination that there\nare not more than two (2) candidates who have filed the necessary petitions for a\nplace on the ballot in the regular election, no drawing for ballot position shall be\nheld and the Secretary of State shall immediately issue and file in the Secretary's\noffice certificates of nomination, and send copies to the candidates.\nEffective: April 14, 2026","path":["KRS Chapter 118A"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=57005","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:50:16Z","sha256":"9392fab87453731e58b848a201307d208751643cadce518b6d8d358f04bff169","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-118a.050","next":"us-ky/krs-118a.065"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}