All Roll Calls
Yes: 311 • No: 50
KentuckyHB 1392026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET
AN ACT relating to elections and declaring an emergency.
Sponsored By: Jennifer Decker (Republican)
Became Law
Local MandateAttorney, Commonwealth'sCountiesCounty ClerksEducation, Elementary And SecondaryEffective Dates, EmergencyElections And VotingSecretary Of StateState Agencies
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
28 provisions identified: 14 benefits, 7 costs, 7 mixed.
Removed voters can seek registration restoration
After a state removal, the State Board must notify the county clerk, who must update county files within 10 days. A removed voter can protest, and the county board must hear the protest at its next regular monthly meeting. If the board rules for the voter, it must restore the registration and voting record. While registration books are closed, it must issue an Authorization to Vote for the upcoming election and restore records when books reopen.
Felony convictions trigger voter roll removal
The courts office must send certified felony-conviction notices within 10 days after a conviction becomes final. The law removes the express statement that finality includes exhaustion of all appeals. After notice from the courts office or U.S. Department of Justice, the State Board must remove names within five days, including cases on appeal. That removal rule bars removals while registration books are closed for a primary, general, or special election. The courts office must send an all-time list of currently ineligible felony voters, including pending appeals, by July 24, 2026; the board must remove listed names by August 4, 2026.
Fewer backup identification options for voters
Voters without standard identification must sign an affirmation stating a listed reason they cannot get it. They must also be eligible to vote in that precinct. Accepted backup cards are a Kentucky county-issued card bearing their name and approved in writing by the State Board of Elections, or a card with their photo and name. Social Security cards, food stamp or EBT/SNAP cards, and an election officer's personal knowledge no longer qualify.
Citizenship checks and provisional voting safeguards
The State Board of Elections flags voters identified as noncitizens and mails notice explaining how to verify citizenship. Regular voting requires verification at the county clerk's office using a qualifying U.S. birth certificate or passport, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth, or a Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship. At a voting location, flagged voters can cast a provisional ballot after signing a state form affirming U.S. citizenship under penalty of perjury. The board refers flagged registrations to the Attorney General's election investigations unit and reports any later citizenship verification. Removal is required if citizenship remains unverified before the day after the second federal general election following identification.
Campaign filers get penalty grace period
Candidates and campaign treasurers get five business days after Registry notice to correct a filing delinquency. Monetary penalties cannot accrue or be assessed before that period ends. No penalty applies if they correct the violation in time. This covers required reports, administrative-fee payments, documents, and information.
Election contest winners recover legal costs
A contestant who wins an election contest in Circuit Court or on appeal is entitled to reasonable legal costs. These include attorney fees, expert witness fees, and other court costs. The court charges the local election board or a party found to have used fraud, intimidation, bribery, or violence that prevented a fair election.
Campaigns and parties can support charities
Candidates and candidate slates can give campaign money to religious, civic, or charitable groups under a new exception. State and county party executive committees can give a nonprofit civic group up to $100 per year. The nonprofit must promote civic education, voter registration efforts, or patriotic events.
Campaigns gain higher small donation thresholds
Contributing groups funded only from within the group must report contributions above $200, up from $100. Goods, advertising, and services count as contributions when their total value exceeds $200 in one election, also up from $100. That rule covers candidates, slates, committees, contributing organizations, and inauguration activities. Standard commercial fees deducted by payment processors, card issuers, or electronic payment services do not count as campaign contributions.
Campaigns get more report filing time
Covered campaign reports count as timely when the election finance registry receives them within seven business days after the deadline. The previous grace period was two business days. This covers candidates, committees, registered fundraisers, and party executive committees where the rule applies. Specified building-fund reports also get seven business days after a calendar quarter ends.
Candidate names and filing rules change
Candidates can use a shortened form of their given name on the ballot, alongside existing name and initial options. Commonwealth's attorney candidates must file nomination papers with the Secretary of State instead of the county clerk. Independent, political organization, and political group candidates covered by the nomination-paper rule need no statement-of-candidacy form for special elections or elections for unexpired terms.
Candidates gain targeted campaign transfer options
Federal candidates can transfer federal campaign money to a Kentucky party executive committee within the applicable annual limit. The money cannot be earmarked for a particular candidate or slate. Kentucky legislators can move their remaining campaign balance into an account for seeking statewide constitutional office.
Cities get elections after mass vacancies
A special election is required when a court vacates most city legislative seats because of fraud or election error not caused by any candidate. The county clerk and local election board must call it for bona fide candidates who previously qualified. The stated timing is as soon as practicable, within at least 45 days of the final vacancy order. Members whose terms expire stay in office until the contest and appeals are final.
Clerks face narrower registration felony rules
Falsely registering someone is no longer a separate listed basis for this Class D felony against county clerks or deputies. Fraudulent registration and knowingly allowing an ineligible person to register remain covered. So does failing or refusing to give registration records to someone entitled to them.
Delegates become uncommitted after candidate withdrawal
Kentucky delegate votes become uncommitted when their candidate dies before the national convention's first ballot is counted. The same applies when the candidate gives written withdrawal notice to the Kentucky delegation chair before that ballot.
Donors can give larger political contributions
The cash donation limit rises from $100 to $200 per contributor, per recipient, in one election. Campaign recipients can accept up to $200, up from $100, from someone still under 18 on the next general election day. Annual limits rise from $5,000 to $10,000 per person for state party executive committees, party subdivisions or affiliates, and caucus campaign committees. The state party executive committee limit excludes donations designated only for its building fund.
Political parties gain recognition and reach
A political group qualifies as a party if its candidate received at least 10% of votes in the last presidential-elector election. The former threshold was 20%. Qualified party committees can endorse, support, or oppose candidates for nonpartisan offices. They can also make otherwise lawful contributions and spending for those races. The office and candidate remain nonpartisan.
Some voter misdemeanor grounds are removed
The law removes voting before meeting specified state, county, or precinct residence periods from this Class B misdemeanor provision. It also removes voting before reaching full age from that provision. The provision still covers Kentucky residents who vote before becoming citizens by means other than falsely impersonating registered voters.
Election finance board members lose daily pay
Members of the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance no longer receive the $65 daily payment. They still get necessary travel and expenses reimbursed in the same manner as Kentucky state employees.
Written move confirmations support voter removal
When information shows a voter moved outside the county, the voter can confirm the move in writing. A form available from the State Board of Elections website also works. That confirmation provides a ground for removing the voter's name from registration records.
Disqualified candidates lose ballot certification
Officials must not certify a candidate disqualified before ballot certification. After certification, precinct officers must give required notice and must not disclose or report votes for that candidate. In specified primaries, the remaining one or two candidates receive nomination certificates, depending on the office. Failing to post notice can violate the law when the clerk learned of disqualification at least five days before the election and supplied the notice.
Earlier school election boundary deadlines
In a year when a school board member is elected from a division, that division's boundary cannot change after June 1. The old cutoff was August 1. School districts must report boundary changes to the county clerk within 60 days. Changes occurring within 60 days of the June 1 deadline must be reported immediately.
School tax recalls take longer
A called election challenging a school property-tax levy must occur 50 to 60 days after the clerk validates a sufficient petition. The former window was 35 to 45 days. The school board can instead use the next regular election. For a called election, the district must post a Circuit Court bond covering all election costs within five days after petition approval. These provisions change timing and district costs, not the tax rate itself.
Broader voter sharing with privacy limits
Agencies can exchange voter data when removing ineligible voters is one purpose, rather than the only purpose. Agreements made after April 1, 2025, cannot require state spending or efforts to register unregistered people. Commercial use and third-party access to the voter-registration system remain barred. The State Board can partner with federal agencies to identify deceased or noncitizen voters; noncitizen agreements require a signed written document. Shared roster copies are limited to names, birth dates, and the last four Social Security number digits, if available.
Campaign donation caps follow federal limits
Kentucky replaces its prior inflation-indexed $2,000 donation ceiling with the federal candidate contribution limit. The federal limit is adjusted for inflation every odd-numbered year. It applies to donations to candidates, campaign committees, permanent committees, and contributing organizations. Affiliated permanent committees or contributing organizations count as one committee when applying candidate donation limits.
Campaigns can keep larger anonymous donations
The law raises the anonymous donation limit from $100 to $200 for candidates, slates, committees, and contributing organizations. Donations over $200 must be returned to the donor or turned over to the state if no donor is found. The $2,000 total limit on anonymous donations per election stays unchanged.
Campaigns disclose fewer small donor details
The law raises the threshold for donor details from $100 to amounts over $200 for covered campaign contributions and fundraising-item purchases. Required details include the donor's name, address, employer or self-employment business name, and occupation. For covered candidate contributions, treasurers also record the date, amount, and donor's age if below legal voting age. Permanent committees must still keep specified donor information for contributions of any amount.
Digital political ads get pricing protections
Digital platforms offering public communications services for hire cannot charge political advertisers above their lowest rate for other advertisers when purchased. Covered digital ads must clearly identify the person or committee paying for them. The disclosure rule covers public ads expressly urging a named candidate's election or defeat, or supporting or opposing a ballot measure. Existing disclosure exceptions remain.
Voting equipment flexibility and required testing
The State Board can approve voting systems under an older federal standard amended less than 36 months before review was requested. It must first assess election integrity, security, and the cost and steps needed to meet the newer standard. County clerks must test automatic vote-counting equipment at least five days before Election Day. Testing follows ballot certification by the Secretary of State, state approval of precinct-consolidation petitions, and filing of any petitions required by the referenced election rule.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Jennifer Decker
Republican • House
Cosponsors
Daniel Grossberg
Democrat • House
DJ Johnson
Republican • House
George Brown Jr.
Democrat • House
John Hodgson
Republican • House
Nick Wilson
Republican • House
T.J. Roberts
Republican • House
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 4/14/2026
passed
Yes: 80 • No: 20
Senate vote • 4/14/2026
passed
Yes: 32 • No: 6
House vote • 3/31/2026
passed
Yes: 76 • No: 17
Senate vote • 3/26/2026
3rd reading, passed
Yes: 31 • No: 6
House vote • 2/19/2026
3rd reading, passed
Yes: 92 • No: 1
Actions Timeline
delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 175)
4/14/2026enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
4/14/2026Houseenrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
4/14/2026Housereceived in House
4/14/2026Housepassed 32-6
4/14/2026Senateveto overridden
4/14/2026Senateposted for passage for consideration of Governor's veto
4/14/2026to Rules (S)
4/14/2026Senatereceived in Senate
4/14/2026Senatepassed 80-20
4/14/2026Houseveto overridden
4/14/2026Houseposted for consideration of Governor's veto
4/14/2026taken from Rules
4/14/2026Houseto Rules (H)
4/14/2026Housereceived in House
4/14/2026HouseVetoed
4/10/2026delivered to Governor
3/31/2026enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
3/31/2026Houseenrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
3/31/2026Housepassed 76-17
3/31/2026HouseHouse concurred in Committee Substitute (1)
3/31/2026Houseposted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1)
3/31/2026Senateto Rules (H)
3/27/2026Housereceived in House
3/27/2026House3rd reading, passed 31-6 with Committee Substitute (1)
3/26/2026Senate
Bill Text
Current
4/14/2026
Introduced
1/7/2026
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