When Northern Kentucky voters head to the polls Nov. 3, they won’t necessarily see every candidate’s name printed on their ballots.
Several candidates are running as write-ins in races ranging from the U.S. Senate to local school boards and city councils. While their names won’t appear alongside other candidates, voters can still support them by writing their names in the designated space on the ballot.
However, Kentucky has specific rules governing which write-in votes count.
How does someone become a write-in candidate?
In Kentucky, candidates cannot just announce a write-in campaign and expect their votes to be counted. They must file an official declaration of intent with the appropriate election authority and meet the qualifications for the office they are seeking.
Write-in candidates must also pay a $50 filing fee. While write-in candidates are permitted in a general election, they are not permitted in a primary.
For the Nov. 3 election, the last day to file a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate was Aug. 24. The process is largely the same for federal, state, county and city races, but where candidates file differs.
Candidates seeking federal or state offices, such as the U.S. Senate or Kentucky House of Representatives, file with the Kentucky Secretary of State’s Office. Candidates seeking local offices, including county judge/executive, city council and school board, file with their county clerk.
How do voters cast a write-in vote?
Voters using a paper ballot must fill in the oval or box next to the write-in option for the appropriate race and write the candidate’s name in the space provided.
Those using an electronic ballot-marking device can enter the candidate’s name electronically.
Only votes for qualified candidates who filed the required paperwork will be counted. Writing in the name of a friend, celebrity or another person who hasn’t officially registered as a write-in candidate will not count.
Kentucky election regulations allow minor misspellings if election officials can clearly identify the intended candidate. A candidate’s last name alone may also count, provided no other registered write-in candidate in that race shares the same last name.
Voters can request assistance from election officers if they are unsure how to cast a write-in vote.
Who is running as a write-in candidate in Northern Kentucky?
There are no write-in candidates running in Kenton County.
As of Oct. 22, the following candidates have been identified as write-in candidates in Boone and Campbell counties, along with one statewide candidate:
U.S. Senate (statewide)
- Thomas Michael Murphy
Campbell County: Highland Heights City Council
- Robert Beckerich
Boone County: Judge/Executive
- Terry Roberts
- William Edward Woods
Boone County: Board of Education, District 5
- Brandon Ashcraft
- Brenna L.K. Penrose
- Linda Kunkel Schild
- Jerry Rich
To vote for this seat, you must live in District 5. View the Boone County Board of Education district map here.
Kentucky law also requires county clerks to provide polling locations with lists of qualified write-in candidates. Those lists are not publicly posted at polling places, but voters can ask an election officer to see them.
For additional information, voters can contact their county clerk or visit the Kentucky State Board of Elections website.
