summary
Introduced
01/07/2026
01/07/2026
In Committee
02/20/2026
02/20/2026
Crossed Over
02/20/2026
02/20/2026
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026 Regular Session
Bill Summary
Amend KRS 116.112 to allow the State Board of Elections to enter into intergovernmental agreements with other governmental agencies to exchange data to assist in investigating violations of election offenses; amend KRS 117.125 to require voting systems and equipment meet or exceed a standard approved by the Election Assistance Commission; amend KRS 117.145 to require that county clerks provide voting equipment with the necessary supplies for write-in votes on the day before any in-person voting occurs; amend KRS 117.265 to change the date a person running for President or Vice President must file a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate to the same deadline as the certification of candidates; amend KRS 117.355 to require county boards of elections to deliver signature rosters and precinct results to the State Board of Elections within 10 days after any primary or general election; amend KRS 117.379 to require voting systems meet a previously established Election Assistance Commission standard; amend KRS 117.389 to require county clerks to test automatic tabulating equipment after any petitions for local option elections have been filed; amend KRS 118.015 to change the definition of "political party"; amend KRS 118.125 to require that the notification and declaration be in the form prescribed by the Secretary of State; amend KRS 118.129 to allow a contraction as an acceptable form of a candidate's name; amend KRS 118.165 to require that candidates for Commonwealth's Attorney file nomination papers with the Secretary of State; amend KRS 118.315 to require that the form of petition be prescribed by the Secretary of State; amend KRS 118.367 to specify that candidates for a special election or election for an unexpired term shall not be required to file a statement-of-candidacy form; require that the statement-of-candidacy form be prescribed by the Secretary of State; amend KRS 118A.060 to require that the petition for nomination be in the form prescribed by the Secretary of State; amend KRS 119.015 to remove the term "falsely"; amend KRS 119.165, relating to the penalty of a Class B misdemeanor regarding voters who vote at a regular or special election before being a citizen; make technical corrections; amend KRS 132.017 to require that questions as to whether the property tax rate shall be levied shall be submitted to voters in a common school election not less than 50 days nor more than 60 days from the date the signatures are validated; require the school district holding the election to post bond with the Circuit Court to cover the costs of the election within 5 days after the petition is found to be sufficient; amend KRS 160.210 to prohibit changes in the boundary of any division after June 1 in the year in which a school board member is to be elected; amend various statutes to conform; repeal KRS 118.551, relating to the definition of political party; EMERGENCY.
AI Summary
This bill makes several changes to election laws in Kentucky, including allowing the State Board of Elections to share data with other government agencies to investigate election offenses, requiring voting systems to meet or exceed standards set by the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), and ensuring county clerks provide necessary supplies for write-in votes before in-person voting begins. It also adjusts the deadline for write-in candidates for President and Vice President to align with other candidate certification deadlines, mandates that county boards of elections submit signature rosters and precinct results to the State Board of Elections within 10 days after an election, and requires county clerks to test automatic tabulating equipment after petitions for local option elections are filed. The bill also modifies the definition of a "political party" to require a candidate to have received at least 10% of the vote in the last election, standardizes the form for candidate notifications and declarations to be prescribed by the Secretary of State, allows contractions in candidate names, and requires candidates for Commonwealth's Attorney to file nomination papers with the Secretary of State. Additionally, it specifies that candidates in special elections or for unexpired terms are not required to file a statement-of-candidacy form, and that the form itself will be prescribed by the Secretary of State. The bill also changes the timeframe for submitting property tax rate questions to voters in common school elections and requires the school district to post a bond to cover election costs. Finally, it prohibits changes to school board division boundaries after June 1 in an election year and repeals the statute defining a political party.
Committee Categories
Government Affairs
Sponsors (5)
Last Action
to Committee on Committees (S) (on 02/20/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26RS/hb139.html |
| BillText | https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb139/bill.pdf |
| Vote History for HB139 | https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26RS/hb139/vote_history.pdf |
| House Floor Amendment 1 | https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/HB139/HFA1.pdf |
| House Committee Substitute 1 | https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/HB139/HCS1.pdf |
| BillText | https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb139/orig_bill.pdf |
| Local Mandate Fiscal Impact | https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/note/26RS/hb139/LM.pdf |
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