Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Kentucky

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Note: This article is not intended to serve as an exhaustive guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.

In order to get on the ballot in Kentucky, a candidate for president of the United States must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A presidential candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for president of the United States.

1. An individual can seek the nomination of a political party. Presidential nominees are selected by delegates at national nominating conventions. Individual states conduct caucuses or primary elections to determine which delegates will be sent to the national convention.
2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent presidential candidates typically must petition in each state in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

The information on this page applies only to presidential candidates. For additional information about ballot access requirements for state and congressional candidates, see this page.

HIGHLIGHTS

In Kentucky, a candidate seeking his or her party's nomination is placed on the primary ballot automatically if he or she qualifies for matching federal campaign funds. A candidate may also petition for placement on the primary ballot. An independent candidate must petition for placement on the general election ballot. At least 5,000 registered voters must sign this petition. A write-in candidate must file a declaration of intent in order to have his or her votes tallied.

See state election laws

Year-specific filing information

See also: Important dates in the 2024 presidential race

2024

The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in Kentucky in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Kentucky, click here.

Presidential primary candidates

Filing requirements for presidential primary candidates in Kentucky, 2024
State	Party	Signatures required	Signature formula	Filing fee	Filing fee formula	Filing deadline	Source
Kentucky	Democratic and Republican	5,000	Fixed by statute	$1,000.00	Fixed by statute	1/5/2024	Source

Independent presidential candidates

Filing requirements for independent candidates in Kentucky, 2024
State	Signatures required	Signature formula	Filing fee	Filing fee formula	Filing deadline	Source
Kentucky	5,000	Fixed by statute	$500.00	Fixed by statute	9/6/2024	Source

For filing information from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.

Show more

2020

The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in Kentucky in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Kentucky, click here.

Presidential primary candidates

Filing requirements for presidential primary candidates in Kentucky, 2020
State	Party	Signatures required	Signature formula	Filing fee	Filing fee formula	Filing deadline	Source
Kentucky	Democratic	5,000	Fixed by statute	$1,000.00	Fixed by statute	1/10/2020	Source

Independent presidential candidates

Filing requirements for independent candidates in Kentucky, 2020
State	Signatures required	Signature formula	Filing fee	Filing fee formula	Filing deadline	Source
Kentucky	5,000	Fixed by statute	$500.00	Fixed by statute	9/4/2020	Source

2016

The calendar below lists important filing deadlines in Kentucky for the 2016 presidential election. For information about campaign finance reporting deadlines, see below.

Legend:      Ballot access     Election date

Dates and requirements for presidential candidates in 2016
Deadline	Event type	Event description
January 12, 2016	Ballot access	Filing deadline for Republican caucuses
January 12, 2016	Ballot access	Deadline for the Kentucky State Board of Elections to nominate candidates for the presidential preference primary ballot
January 26, 2016	Ballot access	Filing deadline for candidates running in the presidential preference primary
March 5, 2016	Election date	Republican caucuses
May 17, 2016	Election date	Primary election
September 9, 2016	Ballot access	Filing deadline for independent candidates in the general election
November 8, 2016	Election date	General election
Source: Kentucky State Board of Elections, "2016 Kentucky Election Calendar," accessed August 24, 2015

Qualifications

Article 2, Section 1, of the United States Constitution sets the following qualifications for the presidency:

“	No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.	”
—United States Constitution

Article 2, Section 4, of the United States Constitution says an individual can be disqualified from the presidency if impeached and convicted:

“	The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.	”
—United States Constitution

The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution says an individual can also be disqualified from the presidency under the following conditions:

“	No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.	”
—United States Constitution

Party nomination processes

See also: Primary election and Caucus

Hover over the terms below to display definitions.

Ballot access laws

Primary election

Caucus

Delegate

A political party formally nominates its presidential candidate at a national nominating convention. At this convention, state delegates select the party's nominee. Prior to the nominating convention, the states conduct presidential preference primaries or caucuses. Generally speaking, only state-recognized parties—such as the Democratic Party and the Republican Party—conduct primaries and caucuses. These elections measure voter preference for the various candidates and help determine which delegates will be sent to the national nominating convention.

The Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee, the governing bodies of the nation's two major parties, establish their own guidelines for the presidential nomination process. State-level affiliates of the parties also have some say in determining rules and provisions in their own states. Individuals interested in learning more about the nomination process should contact the political parties themselves for full details.

In Kentucky, recognized political parties typically conduct primary elections, though a party may nominate its presidential candidate via caucuses or convention. For the purpose of a presidential primary, state law defines a political party as a party whose candidates for governor and lieutenant governor received at least 10 percent of the vote cast for those offices in the most recent election. Alternatively, any party whose registration equals 10 percent or more of the total voter registration in the state is recognized as a political party.

On the second Tuesday in January, in the year of the primary, the Kentucky State Board of Elections nominates candidates to appear on the primary ballot. The board nominates for ballot placement all candidates "who have qualified for matching federal campaign funds." Additionally, any candidate who can prove to the Kentucky Secretary of State that he or she is on the primary ballot in at least 20 other states is entitled to placement on the Kentucky primary ballot.

A candidate who fails to meet these criteria may petition for placement on the primary ballot. At least 5,000 registered and qualified voters must sign the petition, which must be submitted to the secretary of state by the first Friday following the first Monday in January preceding a presidential preference primary.

All presidential primary candidates are subject to a $1,000 filing fee that must be paid to the secretary of state at the time of filing.

Issues

Rand Paul

On August 22, 2015, the central committee of the Kentucky Republican Party voted 111-36 to conduct caucuses in 2016 in lieu of a presidential preference primary. The party scheduled the caucuses to occur on March 5, 2016. The decision enabled Kentucky senator and presidential hopeful Rand Paul (R) to campaign simultaneously for both the presidency and his seat in the United States Senate. According to The Courier-Journal, had Republicans not chosen to forgo the primary, Paul would have had to choose which office to seek, as state law prevents a candidate from running for two offices that appear on the same ballot.

The caucuses were expected to cost the state Republican Party $500,000. The party required that Paul "raise or transfer at least $250,000 to the state party by September 18, 2015" to help fund the caucuses.

General election requirements

The president is elected by the Electoral College, which comprises 538 electors from all 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C.

The president of the United States is elected not by popular vote, but by the Electoral College. The Electoral College comprises a total of 538 electors. Each state is allocated a number of electors equal to the size of its congressional delegation. The Office of the Federal Register administers the Electoral College process:

“	On Election Day, the voters in each State choose the Electors by casting votes for the presidential candidate of their choice. The Electors’ names may or may not appear on the ballot below the name of the candidates running for President, depending on the procedure in each State. The winning candidate in each State—except in Nebraska and Maine, which have proportional distribution of the Electors—is awarded all of the State’s Electors.	”
—The Office of the Federal Register

Typically, electors are selected by state parties. Federal law does not require electors to vote "according to the results of the popular vote in their states." Some states and political parties have enacted policies requiring their electors to vote in accordance with the popular vote. According to the Office of the Federal Register, "throughout our history as a nation, more than 99 percent of electors have voted as pledged."

For the 2024 presidential election, Kentucky was allocated eight electoral votes, the same number that the state was allocated in the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential contests.

In Kentucky, all general election presidential candidates must pay a $500 filing fee.

Political parties

For general election purposes, a political party is defined by Kentucky state law as any party whose presidential candidate received at least 20 percent of the total votes cast for that office in the most recent election. A political party must submit a certificate of nomination for its presidential candidate to the secretary of state by the Friday following the first Tuesday in September preceding the election.

Political organization

A political organization is defined as any group not qualifying as a political party whose candidate for president received at least 2 percent of the total state vote cast for that office in the most recent election. A political organization may nominate its candidate for president via convention. The organization must submit a certificate of nomination for its candidate to the secretary of state by the Friday following the first Tuesday in September preceding the election.

Independent candidates

An independent presidential candidate must petition for placement on the general election ballot. At least 5,000 registered voters must sign the petition, which must be submitted to the secretary of state by the Friday following the first Tuesday in September preceding the election.

Running for multiple offices

Some states prohibit candidates for the presidency from seeking other offices simultaneously. In Kentucky, a candidate's name may not appear on the ballot multiple times.

Sore loser laws

See also: Sore loser laws for presidential candidates

Some states bar candidates who sought, but failed, to secure the nomination of a political party from running as independents in the general election. These restrictions are sometimes called sore loser laws. Although Kentucky does have a sore loser law, the law explicitly exempts candidates in presidential preference primary elections.

Write-in requirements

A write-in candidate for the presidency must file a declaration of intent with the secretary of state in order to have his or her votes tallied. This form must be filed by the fourth Friday in October preceding the election. The candidate must also pay a $50 filing fee.

Historical information

See also: Historical signature requirements for independent and minor party presidential candidates

According to Richard Winger, publisher of Ballot Access News, between 1892 and 2012 there were 401 instances in which a state required an independent or unqualified party candidate to collect more than 5,000 signatures in order to appear on the general election ballot. In Kentucky, there were no such instances during this period. See this article for more information.

Campaign finance requirements

See also: Campaign finance requirements in Kentucky

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is the only agency authorized to regulate the financing of presidential and other federal campaigns (i.e., campaigns for the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives). The states cannot impose additional requirements on federal candidates. Federal law requires all presidential candidates to file a statement of candidacy within 15 days of receiving contributions or making expenditures that exceed $5,000. The statement of candidacy is the only federally mandated ballot access requirement for presidential candidates; all other ballot access procedures are mandated at the state level. The candidacy statement authorizes "a principal campaign committee to raise and spend funds" on behalf of the candidate. Within 10 days of filing the candidacy statement, the committee must file a statement of organization with the FEC. In addition, federal law establishes contribution limits for presidential candidates. These limits are detailed in the table below. The uppermost row indicates the recipient type; the leftmost column indicates the donor type.

Federal contribution limits, 2023-2024
	Candidate committees	Political action committees	State and district party committees	National party committees	Additional national party committee accounts
Individual	$3,300 per election	$5,000 per year	$10,000 per year (combined)	$41,300 per year	$123,900 per account, per year
Candidate committee	$2,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
Multicandidate political action committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	$5,000 per year (combined)	$15,000 per year	$45,000 per account, per year
Other political action committee	$3,300 per election	$5,000 per year	$10,000 per year (combined)	$41,300 per year	$123,900 per account, per year
State and district party committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
National party committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $3,300 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $3,300 to the same candidate committee for the general election. Source: Federal Election Commission, "Contribution limits," accessed May 8, 2023

Presidential candidate committees are required to file regular campaign finance reports disclosing "all of their receipts and disbursements" either quarterly or monthly. Committees may choose which filing schedule to follow, but they must notify the FEC in writing and "may change their filing frequency no more than once per calendar year."

For contribution limits from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.

Show more

Federal contribution limits, 2019-2020
	Candidate committees	Political action committees	State and district party committees	National party committees	Additional national party committee accounts
Individual	$2,800 per election	$5,000 per year	$10,000 per year (combined)	$33,500 per year	$106,500 per account, per year
Candidate committee	$2,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
Multicandidate political action committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	$5,000 per year (combined)	$15,000 per year	$45,000 per account, per year
Other political action committee	$2,800 per election	$5,000 per year	$10,000 per year (combined)	$35,500 per year	$106,500 per account, per year
State and district party committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
National party committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $2,800 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $2,800 to the same candidate committee for the general election. Source: Federal Election Commission, "Contribution limits," accessed August 8, 2019

Federal contribution limits, 2015-2016
	Candidate committees	Political action committees	State and district party committees	National party committees	Additional national party committee accounts
Individual	$2,700 per election	$5,000 per year	$10,000 per year (combined)	$33,400 per year	$100,200 per account, per year
Candidate committee	$2,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
Multicandidate political action committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	$5,000 per year (combined)	$15,000 per year	$45,000 per account, per year
Other political action committee	$2,700 per election	$5,000 per year	$10,000 per year (combined)	$33,400 per year	$100,200 per account, per year
State and district party committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
National party committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $2,700 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $2,700 to the same candidate committee for the general election. Source: Federal Election Commission, "The FEC and Federal Campaign Finance Law," updated January 2015

Election agencies

The Federal Election Commission is the only agency authorized to regulate campaign financing for federal candidates.

Federal Election Commission

1050 First Street, NE

Washington, D.C. 20463

Telephone: 800-424-9530

Email: info@fec.gov

Kentucky Secretary of State, Office of Elections

700 Capital Ave., Suite 152

Frankfort, Kentucky 40601

Telephone: 502-564-3490

Email: Contact form

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See also

• Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Kentucky
• Presidential election, 2024
• Ballot access for presidential candidates

External links

• Federal Election Commission