STEP ONE:
CANDIDATE FILING FORMS ARE FILLABLE ONLINE- click the button below.
This site has the candidate petition and nomination paperwork. All forms were updated as of June of 2025. Older versions of the forms will not be accepted. All forms are subject to open records requests. First day to file is November 5, 2025. NOTE: Documents cannot be signed prior to November 5, 2025
FILLING OUT YOUR CANDIDATE FORMS: Read your paperwork carefully and review KRS 118.129 Spelling and form of candidate’s name on ballot.
(1) The Secretary of State or the county clerk, as appropriate, shall certify the exact spelling and form of the name of the candidate to be printed on all ballots in accordance with the requirements listed in this section.
(2) A candidate’s nickname which is found to be, in the discretion of the Secretary of State or the county clerk, as appropriate, a title, rank, degree, job description, or spurious phrase shall be placed on the ballot only if it is the candidate’s bona fide nickname, generally used by acquaintances of the candidate in the county of residence to refer to the candidate, and if the nickname is acknowledged, by affidavit, under oath, by five (5) residents of the county in which the candidate resides, to be a bona fide nickname. The candidate shall also acknowledge, by affidavit under oath, that this is his bona fide nickname and is not being used to gain an advantage on the ballot.
(3) A nickname shall always appear set off in quotation marks and immediately before the last name. Periods shall follow all abbreviations or initials. Additional qualifiers following the last name, such as “Jr” or “III” shall not be separated from the last name by a comma and shall be followed by a period.
(4) The candidate’s name shall always appear in the following form: first or given name or initial; middle name or names or initials, if desired by the candidate; nickname if desired by the candidate; and last or surname in full. All names shall be in substantially the following form: John Lincoln “Jack” Doe; or J. Lincoln “Jack” Doe; or J. L. “Jack” Doe Jr.; or any of the above combinations without the intervening nickname.
(5) The total number of spaces, inclusive of letters, spaces, and punctuation, which may be utilized on the ballot for a candidate’s name and, if any, nickname, shall be twenty-five (25). Notwithstanding the listing of the candidate’s name on the filing papers, spaces, periods, quotation marks, and commas necessary for proper punctuation shall be added by the Secretary of State or the county clerk, as appropriate. No candidate’s name shall exceed twenty-five (25) spaces. The Secretary of State or the county clerk, as appropriate, shall determine the correct listing for any candidate whose name exceeds twenty-five (25) spaces to conform to this requirement. Effective: November 5, 1992
STEP TWO:
KENTUCKY REGISTRY OF ELECTION FINANCE FORMS
Click on the button below for the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance (KREF). You must have an online account. Create your account under the e-filing option.
STEP THREE:
FILE YOUR NOMINATING PETITION WITH THE FILING OFFICIAL (COUNTY CLERK OR SECRETARY OF STATE)
The Boyd County Board of Elections does not have the statutory authority to review or investigate a candidate’s qualifications. Per KRS 118.165(2), the County Clerk’s office reviews the “face” of a candidate’s form and declaration. The Clerk’s office will not verify the contents of a candidate’s documents including qualifications, party affiliation, witness signatures or residence requirements.
Return your completed petition prior to the deadline in case there are any mistakes that need to be corrected. Please make sure there is a phone number for us to contact you.
COUNTY OFFICES FEE $50.00
CITY OFFICES FEE $50.00
SOIL & CONSERVATION DISTRICT FEE $20.00
ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS FEE $20.00
Additional information is on the Kentucky School Board Association website: www.ksba.org/RunningforSchoolBoardinKentucky.aspx