These are the write-in candidates running in Fayette County for local, statewide elections
Voters looking for alternatives on Election Day can turn to write-in candidates, of which there are at least eight to choose from in Fayette County.
They run the gamut U.S. Senate and Congressional races all the way down to local elected offices.
But who are they? What do they stand for? And what are Kentucky’s rules around write-in candidacy? We’ve got a guide to how the process works, along with a full list of who’s filed to run as a write-in during the Nov. 8 general election.
How do you run as a write-in candidate in Kentucky?
The rules for running as a write-in candidate in Kentucky are laid out in state law. KRS 117.125 allows voters to “at any regular or special election, cast a write-in vote for any person … whose name does not appear upon the ballot for any office, by writing the name of his or her choice upon the appropriate ballot for the office being voted on.”
This is done by writing the candidate’s name under the office they’re running for.
These votes are only counted if the candidate in question has filed a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate with the Kentucky Secretary of State or their local county clerk, depending on the office they’re seeking.
This can be done on or before the fourth Friday in October preceding the date of the regular general election and no later than the second Friday before the date of a special election. In the case of a special election, under KRS 118.730 this declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate must be filed at least 28 days before the day of the election.
Individuals are not allowed to run as write-ins for more than one office.
Voters may also poll workers at voting sites for a certified list of write-in candidates, as laid out in Kentucky law.
Additionally, two election officers from opposing political parties must, upon the request of any voter, instruct the voter about how to cast a write-in vote.
How are votes for write-in candidates counted in Fayette County?
Fayette County uses electronic voting machines to count votes. The machines are able to accept and process write-in votes from the paper ballot, according to the county clerk’s office.
In the case of a write-in, the voter fills in the box to the left of the word “write-in” and prints the candidate’s name on the line provided.
Once the polls have closed, poll workers bring the memory drive from the machines to the clerk’s office, where they’re inserted into a tally machine and read. If a voter has cast a vote for a write-in candidate in any race, it shows up on these memory drives as a digital image.
The county’s board of elections reviews the images, and votes specifically for registered write-in candidates are counted. Any other write-in votes are not counted. So if you’re planning to write-in “Mickey Mouse” on Election Day, it likely won’t be counted.
Who’s running as a write-in candidate in Fayette County?
Eight people are running in Fayette County as write-in candidates in the Nov. 8 midterm election.
Fayette County’s write-in candidates and the offices they’re running for include:
Federal offices
U.S. Senator:
U.S. Representative, 6th Congressional District
State offices:
State Senator, 28th District
County Commissioner, District 3 (serves on the Fayette County Fiscal Court)
David Lowe
Urban County Council, District 8
Carroll C. “Tray” Hughes III
Urban County Council, District 11
Brittanie C. Price
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This story was originally published November 1, 2022 at 10:10 AM.