How to run in Kentucky, 2028
What it takes to get on Kentucky's 2028 ballot for the U.S. House, U.S. Senate or President, from the state's election office and laws.
U.S. House
Who can run
- At least 25 years old
- A U.S. citizen for at least 7 years
- Living in the state when elected (the Constitution doesn't require living in the district)
- Republican and Democratic primary candidates: the Secretary of State's filing packet states that only persons qualified under KRS 116.055 to vote in that party's primary will have their names printed on the party's primary ballot (i.e., registered with that party). source
Getting on the Kentucky ballot
| Where to file | Kentucky Secretary of State. |
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| When | Republican and Democratic primary candidates: November 3, 2027 (earliest date to affix signatures and file) through 4:00 p.m. local time, January 7, 2028. |
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| How | File a Notification and Declaration (Form SBE 66), signed by the candidate and by at least two registered voters of the same party from the district, including the candidate's sworn declaration of meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements, subscribed and sworn before an officer authorized to administer oaths (notarized) (KRS 118.125). |
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| Fee | $500. |
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| Petition instead | Two registered voters of the candidate's party from the district sign the Notification and Declaration; no larger petition is required for party primary candidates. |
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Official filing information · U.S. Constitution
U.S. Senate
Who can run
- At least 30 years old
- A U.S. citizen for at least 9 years
- Living in the state when elected
- Republican and Democratic primary candidates: the Secretary of State's filing packet states that only persons qualified under KRS 116.055 to vote in that party's primary will have their names printed on the party's primary ballot (i.e., registered with that party). source
Getting on the Kentucky ballot
| Where to file | Kentucky Secretary of State. |
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| When | Republican and Democratic primary candidates: November 3, 2027 through 4:00 p.m. local time, January 7, 2028 (same dates the Secretary of State has published for 2028 U.S. Representative filings; the U.S. Senator packet still shows 2026 dates). (expected: follows state law; the 2028 calendar isn't published yet) |
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| How | File a Notification and Declaration (Form SBE 66), signed by the candidate and by at least two registered voters of the same party, including the candidate's sworn declaration of meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements, subscribed and sworn before an officer authorized to administer oaths (notarized) (KRS 118.125). |
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| Fee | $500. |
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| Petition instead | Two registered voters of the candidate's party sign the Notification and Declaration; no larger petition is required for party primary candidates. |
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Official filing information · U.S. Constitution · Kentucky's 2028 Senate race
President
Who can run: At least 35 years old; A natural-born U.S. citizen; A U.S. resident for at least 14 years (U.S. Constitution).
Getting on Kentucky's presidential primary ballot
| How | Republican and Democratic presidential preference primary (May 16, 2028). A candidate may get on the party's primary ballot by any of four methods, each requiring a $1,000 filing fee to the Secretary of State: (1) nomination by the State Board of Elections, which meets on the third Tuesday in December (December 21, 2027) to nominate candidates who have qualified for federal matching funds (list from the FEC); the nominated candidate returns the Secretary of State's Notice of Candidacy with the fee (KRS 118.581); (2) a certified petition of at least 5,000 registered voters of the candidate's party (KRS 118.591(1)-(4)); (3) a Notice of Candidacy with FEC certification that the candidate qualified for matching funds after the December Board meeting (KRS 118.591); or (4) a Notice of Candidacy with evidence from 20 other states that the candidate qualified for their party's presidential preference ballot (KRS 118.591(5)). A political party, for this purpose, is one whose presidential candidate received at least 20% of the vote at the last presidential election (KRS 118.015(1)). |
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| Where | Kentucky Secretary of State, Office of Elections, 1025 Capital Center Drive, Suite 201, Frankfort, KY 40601 (in person or by mail; must be received by the deadline). |
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| When | All methods: documents and fee received by 4:00 p.m. local time, January 7, 2028 (first Friday after the first Monday in January). |
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| Fee | $1,000, payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer. |
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| Petition | Method 2 only: at least 5,000 registered voters affiliated by registration with the candidate's party (form SBE 65 / SBE 65-2), signed by the candidate and by the chairman of the group circulating the petition, whose signature must be notarized. Each signer must give the date signed, date of birth and residence address, or the signature is not counted. |
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Sources: President RepublicanDemocraticPrimary Method1 · President RepublicanDemocraticPrimary Method2
Running as an independent in November
| How | Independent candidates and candidates of political groups or political organizations file a Nominating Petition (forms SBE 64 and SBE 64-2) with the Secretary of State under KRS 118.315. The petition is signed by both the presidential and vice-presidential candidates and by the petitioners, and it places in nomination a list of presidential electors (name, residential address and signature of each elector). The names of the President/Vice President candidates are certified in lieu of the electors' names. A qualified party or political organization (a group whose candidate received 2% or more of the vote at the last presidential election, KRS 118.015(8)) may instead file a Certificate of Nomination. |
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| Where | Kentucky Secretary of State. |
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| When | Signatures may be affixed and the petition filed from November 3, 2027; latest filing 4:00 p.m. local time, September 8, 2028. |
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| Fee | $500. |
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| Petition | Signatures of 5,000 registered voters, plus each candidate's signature. Signers must include date signed, date of birth and residence address (no P.O. box), or the signature is not counted. Signatures may not be affixed before the first Wednesday after the first Monday in November of the preceding year. |
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| Also | Running mate and elector slate are both named on the nominating petition at filing. The Secretary of State's packets note that all information is subject to change per the Kentucky Revised Statutes. |
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Sources: President Independent
Campaign money
- Once you raise or spend more than $5,000, file a Statement of Candidacy (FEC Form 2) within 15 days.
- Your campaign committee then files a Statement of Organization (FEC Form 1) within 10 days and reports to the FEC.
FEC: registering as a candidate · FEC campaign guides
Checked November 4, 2026. Rules can change; confirm with Kentucky's election office and the FEC before you file. ← All states
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