Kentucky candidate filing & campaign-finance deadlines
Official 2026 report due dates for Kentucky state candidates file with Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.
3 more deadlines follow in this cycle.
Electbase emails you before every deadline — 14, 7, and 2 days out — and stays current as the official schedule changes.
Get deadline remindersIncluded in every Electbase plan · See pricingThis page also covers Kentucky candidate-filing (ballot access) deadlines for 2027–2028 — the process of becoming a qualified candidate, distinct from the campaign-finance reporting below. Here's how to run for office in Kentucky: what to file, when, and with whom.
7 report deadlines for the 2026 cycle.
These are the campaign-finance report due dates a Kentucky state candidate files with Kentucky Registry of Election Finance for the 2026 election cycle, stored verbatim from the official schedule. The 2026 primary is May 19, 2026.
| Due | Type | Report | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-election | KY 30-Day Pre-Primary Report Report due ~30 days before the May 19 primary (two business days after the April 19 period close). |
— – Apr 19, 2026 | |
| Pre-election | KY 15-Day Pre-Primary Report Report due ~15 days before the May 19 primary (period closes May 4). |
— – May 4, 2026 | |
| Post-election | KY 30-Day Post-Primary Report Report due ~30 days after the primary (period closes June 18). Required of all candidates who filed for the primary. |
— – Jun 18, 2026 | |
| Pre-election | KY 60-Day Pre-General Report Report due ~60 days before the November 3 general (period closes September 4; due date reflects the Labor Day holiday). |
— – Sep 4, 2026 | |
| Pre-election | KY 30-Day Pre-General Report Report due ~30 days before the general (period closes October 4). |
— – Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Pre-election | KY 15-Day Pre-General Report Report due ~15 days before the general (period closes October 19). |
— – Oct 19, 2026 | |
| Post-election | KY 30-Day Post-General Report Report due ~30 days after the general (period closes December 3). Required of all candidates who filed for the general. |
— – Dec 3, 2026 |
Shaded rows are deadlines that have already passed.
Good to know
Schedule for a NON-STATEWIDE (legislative) candidate who raises or spends over $5,000 (Option A). Candidates at or under $5,000 are reporting-exempt; statewide candidates file a quarterly/semiannual schedule instead. The pre-primary reports apply to candidates in the May 19 primary; the 30-day post-primary is required of everyone who filed for the primary. Conditional 60-day post-election reports (only if debt/surplus remains) and the Annual carryover report are not listed here. Coverage start dates are not published by KREF (each period runs from the day after the prior report's close). NOTE: KREF's public Reporting-Dates web page prints incorrect (inflated) general-election due dates; these follow the authoritative Candidate Guide.
Kentucky candidate-filing deadlines — 2027–2028.
Deadlines to become a qualified candidate for office in Kentucky — declarations of candidacy, nominating petitions, and related ballot-access filing requirements — compiled from Kentucky State Board of Elections. Distinct from the campaign-finance report deadlines above.
2027
Statewide
Governor
Filing window: –
Candidacy method: Party Primary · Deadline type: Party primary filing
Files with: Kentucky Secretary of State
Fee: Filing fee required; petition in lieu of fee with required signatures · Signatures: Petition signatures required if filing in lieu of fee
Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 118, Elections - Candidate Filing Deadlines · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Not yet independently verified
Filing for Governor in Statewide for the 2027 Kentucky Gubernatorial Primary Election (May 18, 2027) closes Jan 8, 2027 at 4:00 PM America/Kentucky/Louisville. Opens Nov 4, 2026. This date is calculated from statute and is not an official calendar date. Source: Kentucky Legislature.
Governor
Filing window: –
Candidacy method: Independent · Deadline type: Independent candidate filing
Petition deadline: Jun 8, 2027
Files with: Kentucky Secretary of State
Signatures: 25 signatures of registered voters
Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 118, Elections - Independent Candidate Filing · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Not yet independently verified
Filing for Governor in Statewide for the 2027 Kentucky Gubernatorial General Election (Nov 2, 2027) closes Jun 8, 2027 at 4:00 PM America/Kentucky/Louisville. Opens Nov 4, 2026. This date is calculated from statute and is not an official calendar date. Source: Kentucky Legislature.
Governor
Filing window: Closes
Candidacy method: Write In · Deadline type: Write-in filing
Write-in deadline: Oct 22, 2027
Files with: Kentucky Secretary of State
Kentucky Revised Statutes, Chapter 117 - Elections, Write-in Votes · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Last verified Jul 13, 2026
Filing for Governor in Statewide for the 2027 Kentucky Gubernatorial General Election (Nov 2, 2027) closes Oct 22, 2027 at 4:00 PM America/Kentucky/Louisville. This date is calculated from statute and is not an official calendar date. Source: Kentucky Legislature.
Lieutenant Governor
Filing window: –
Candidacy method: Party Primary · Deadline type: Party primary filing
Files with: Kentucky Secretary of State
Fee: Filing fee required; petition in lieu of fee · Signatures: Petition signatures if filing in lieu of fee
Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 118, Elections - Candidate Filing Deadlines · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Not yet independently verified
Filing for Lieutenant Governor in Statewide for the 2027 Kentucky Gubernatorial Primary Election (May 18, 2027) closes Jan 8, 2027 at 4:00 PM America/Kentucky/Louisville. Opens Nov 4, 2026. This date is calculated from statute and is not an official calendar date. Source: Kentucky Legislature.
Attorney General
Filing window: –
Candidacy method: Party Primary · Deadline type: Party primary filing
Files with: Kentucky Secretary of State
Fee: Filing fee required; petition in lieu of fee · Signatures: Petition signatures if filing in lieu of fee
Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 118, Elections - Candidate Filing Deadlines · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Not yet independently verified
Filing for Attorney General in Statewide for the 2027 Kentucky Gubernatorial Primary Election (May 18, 2027) closes Jan 8, 2027 at 4:00 PM America/Kentucky/Louisville. Opens Nov 4, 2026. This date is calculated from statute and is not an official calendar date. Source: Kentucky Legislature.
State Legislative
Kentucky State Senate — Districts 1-38
Filing window: –
Candidacy method: Party Primary · Deadline type: Party primary filing
Files with: Kentucky Secretary of State
Fee: Filing fee required; petition in lieu of fee · Signatures: Petition signatures if filing in lieu of fee
Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 118, Elections - Candidate Filing Deadlines · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Not yet independently verified
Filing for Kentucky State Senate in Statewide for the 2027 Kentucky Gubernatorial Primary Election (May 18, 2027) closes Jan 8, 2027 at 4:00 PM America/Kentucky/Louisville. Opens Nov 4, 2026. This date is calculated from statute and is not an official calendar date. Source: Kentucky Legislature.
2028
Federal
President of the United States
Not yet published. Expected publishing authority: Kentucky State Board of Elections, typically announces primary date and filing deadlines in late 2027 or early 2028. When published, filing deadline will apply KRS 118.165(1) formula (first Friday following first Monday in January preceding the primary). Verified as 'not_yet_published' is correct status per RESEARCH-METHODOLOGY section 5.
Filing authority: Kentucky Secretary of State.
Next check: Sep 1, 2027.
Kentucky State Board of Elections - 2028 Election Information · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Last verified Jul 13, 2026
The official filing deadline for President of the United States in Statewide for the 2028 Kentucky Primary Election has not yet been published; check with Kentucky Secretary of State. Source: Kentucky State Board of Elections.
U.S. House of Representatives — Districts 1-6
Not yet published. Filing deadline will follow KRS 118.165(1) formula once primary date is published. Verified as 'not_yet_published' is correct status.
Filing authority: Kentucky Secretary of State.
Next check: Sep 1, 2027.
Kentucky State Board of Elections - 2028 Election Information · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Last verified Jul 13, 2026
The official filing deadline for U.S. House of Representatives in Statewide for the 2028 Kentucky Primary Election has not yet been published; check with Kentucky Secretary of State. Source: Kentucky State Board of Elections.
U.S. Senate — Class 3 (Rand Paul seat)
Filing window: –
Candidacy method: Independent · Deadline type: Independent candidate filing
Petition deadline: Jun 6, 2028
Files with: Kentucky Secretary of State
Signatures: Petition signatures required
Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 118, Elections - Independent Candidate Filing · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Last verified Jul 13, 2026
Filing for U.S. Senate in Statewide for the 2028 Presidential and Federal General Election (Nov 7, 2028) closes Jun 6, 2028 at 4:00 PM America/Kentucky/Louisville. Opens Nov 3, 2027. This date is calculated from statute and is not an official calendar date. Source: Kentucky Legislature.
U.S. Senate — Class 3 (Rand Paul seat)
Filing window: Closes
Candidacy method: Write In · Deadline type: Write-in filing
Write-in deadline: Oct 27, 2028
Files with: Kentucky Secretary of State
Kentucky Revised Statutes, Chapter 117 - Elections, Write-in Votes · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Last verified Jul 13, 2026
Filing for U.S. Senate in Statewide for the 2028 Presidential and Federal General Election (Nov 7, 2028) closes Oct 27, 2028 at 4:00 PM America/Kentucky/Louisville. This date is calculated from statute and is not an official calendar date. Source: Kentucky Legislature.
U.S. House of Representatives — Districts 1-6
Filing window: –
Candidacy method: Independent · Deadline type: Independent candidate filing
Petition deadline: Jun 6, 2028
Files with: Kentucky Secretary of State
Signatures: Petition signatures required
Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 118, Elections - Independent Candidate Filing · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Last verified Jul 13, 2026
Filing for U.S. House of Representatives in Statewide for the 2028 Presidential and Federal General Election (Nov 7, 2028) closes Jun 6, 2028 at 4:00 PM America/Kentucky/Louisville. Opens Nov 3, 2027. This date is calculated from statute and is not an official calendar date. Source: Kentucky Legislature.
State Legislative
Kentucky State Senate — Districts 1-38
Not yet published. When primary date is published, filing deadline will be first Friday following first Monday in January 2028 per KRS 118.165(1) formula. Verified as 'not_yet_published' is correct status.
Filing authority: Kentucky Secretary of State.
Next check: Sep 1, 2027.
Kentucky State Board of Elections - 2028 Election Information · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Last verified Jul 13, 2026
The official filing deadline for Kentucky State Senate in Statewide for the 2028 Kentucky Primary Election has not yet been published; check with Kentucky Secretary of State. Source: Kentucky State Board of Elections.
Kentucky State Senate — Districts 1-38
Filing window: –
Candidacy method: Independent · Deadline type: Independent candidate filing
Petition deadline: Jun 6, 2028
Files with: Kentucky Secretary of State
Signatures: Petition signatures required
Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 118, Elections - Independent Candidate Filing · accessed Jul 13, 2026
Last verified Jul 13, 2026
Filing for Kentucky State Senate in Statewide for the 2028 Presidential and Federal General Election (Nov 7, 2028) closes Jun 6, 2028 at 4:00 PM America/Kentucky/Louisville. Opens Nov 3, 2027. This date is calculated from statute and is not an official calendar date. Source: Kentucky Legislature.
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Electbase compiles these dates from official state sources as a workflow aid. It is not legal advice. Confirm every deadline with your filing authority before you rely on it.
Last updated August 27, 2026