KentuckyHB 6842025 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

AN ACT relating to elections.

Sponsored By: Jennifer Decker (Republican)

Became Law

County ClerksCrimes and PunishmentsEducation, Elementary and SecondaryElections and VotingSecretary of StateState AgenciesCountiesBoards and CommissionsLocal Mandate

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

14 provisions identified: 8 benefits, 4 costs, 2 mixed.

School support staff earn make-up credit

Classified school employees get contract and retirement service credit for added work under state-approved emergency make-up calendars. These calendars add daily instruction to make up full missed days. Qualifying contracts require at least six-hour workdays, and employees' duties and workdays must expand with instruction. Staff regularly scheduled under six hours with no added duties are excluded. They can receive added duties to make up lost service credit.

Teachers keep service credit after emergencies

Certified public school employees receive credit for their 185-day contract and retirement service when emergency closures meet calendar requirements. State and local requirements for attendance, professional days, holidays, and planning days must be met. Districts must also follow approved plans to make up missed attendance days, including any required state education approval.

Broader felony penalties for unauthorized voting

People convicted of felonies whose voting rights have not been restored commit a Class D felony by knowingly voting or attempting to vote. The offense now applies even when the person was not lawfully registered to vote.

More early voting access for caregivers

Caregivers providing medical or healthcare help to voters who qualify under the state's excused-voting rule can apply for earlier voting. They can cast an excused in-person absentee ballot during the six business days immediately before no-excuse early voting starts.

More ways to receive absentee ballots

County clerks can give qualified voters their mail-in absentee ballots in person instead of mailing them home. Only the voter can receive the ballot this way. If a requested ballot does not arrive within a reasonable time, the voter can contact the clerk for another. The clerk must issue another ballot; replacements are no longer limited to a second ballot.

Candidate records replace home addresses

Candidate registers, public postings, and information certified to county clerks use email or post office box addresses instead of home addresses. They include the office sought and district number when applicable. County clerks and the Secretary of State must transmit or display register information within the applicable five-business-day periods, including judicial filings. Required pre-election postings are due at least 50 days before regular elections or 45 days before special elections. Those postings must also show party affiliation for partisan candidates.

Counties gain flexibility for combined polling

County election boards can ask to amend approved plans that combine precinct voting when they consider changes necessary. Requests are due at least 120 days before primary or regular elections, or 56 days before special elections. County party committees can name fewer than four officer nominees when a state-approved consolidation plan requests fewer officers.

Every county gets hand-count election checks

The Secretary of State or a designee randomly selects one scanner and one race on it in every county. At least two qualified poll workers from different parties check hand counts against machine results and voter sign-in records. Workers repeat hand counts until their tallies match. Machine-count differences require investigation, subject to the law's stated exceptions. If ballots exceed recorded voters, the county board must investigate and report to the Attorney General and Secretary of State.

Voters can support multiple candidate petitions

A voter's signature counts on every candidate nomination petition that voter signs. Signing multiple candidates' petitions no longer prevents that voter from counting as a petitioner on each.

Credit cards no longer prove voter identity

Voters using the identity affirmation process can no longer use a credit or debit card bearing their name. Remaining listed documents include a Social Security card, qualifying county identification, photo identification, or a state food stamp, EBT, or SNAP card. Voters must lack the normally required identification, sign the affirmation, and meet voting eligibility and precinct requirements.

Candidates face added filing requirements

Primary candidates must provide their birth date in month/day/year format on their filing papers. At least two registered voters signing those papers must share the candidate's party when signing. Signers must also come from the district or area where the candidate seeks nomination. Candidates for county offices or smaller districts must file nomination papers by 4 p.m. local time on the final filing day.

New write-in deadlines and list limits

Regular-election write-in candidates must file by the law's referenced candidate-certification deadlines, replacing the fourth Friday in October deadline. Separate special-election filing deadlines do not change. Certified write-in candidate lists cannot be posted anywhere. Voters can ask to review a copy but must return it immediately to the precinct election officer.

Voters swear to permanent assistance needs

Voters seeking permanent voting-assistance certification must swear that a permanent physical disability makes ongoing help necessary. The statement is made under penalty of perjury. The county election board no longer decides whether the voter needs permanent assistance.

Election videos kept with request deadlines

Cameras at ballot drop boxes outside county clerk offices must retain 60 consecutive days of continuous video. Hand-count audits must be recorded and can be streamed publicly online. Requests for drop-box, post-election equipment, ballot-box, and audit videos must be made within 60 consecutive days after the election. Videos cannot be discarded until 60 days pass and applicable records requests, investigations, and court cases, including appeals, are resolved.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

Jennifer Decker
Republican • House

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 236 • No: 28

House vote • 3/27/2025

passed

Yes: 84 • No: 15

Senate vote • 3/27/2025

passed

Yes: 30 • No: 6

Senate vote • 3/14/2025

3rd reading, passed

Yes: 37 • No: 0

House vote • 3/6/2025