Kentucky State and Local Government

The Green Papers: State and Local Government

Kentucky

Governor:	1	(Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms)
Senators:	2	(Electoral Classes 2 and 3)
2000 Census:	4,049,431	(1.44% of 281,998,273)
2004, 2008 Electors:	8	(1.49% of 538)
2002-2010 Representatives:	6	(1.38% of 435)
2010 Census:	4,350,606	(1.40% of 309,785,186)
2012, 2016, 2020 Electors:	8	(1.49% of 538)
2012-2020 Representatives:	6	(1.38% of 435)
Capital:	Frankfort

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States Alphabetically Current Kentucky Statewide Office Holders


Official Name/Status All States
	The COMMONWEALTH of Kentucky
	Status: STATE of the Union
	never organized as a Territory: previously, part of the Commonwealth of Virginia
	Admitted to the Union as a State: 1 June 1792 the date for achieving Statehood had been expressly stated in the Enabling Act (1 Stat. 189)
	The 15th state.


Traditional Sections and Regions All States
	Section: SOUTH
	Region: Upper ["Border"] South
	Survey: Metes & Bounds

Constitutions All States Links to State Constitutions

Enabling Act (of the Congress of the United States): 4 February 1791 [1 Stat. 189: accepting the cession by Virginia- in legislation adopted by that State on 18 December 1789- of its "District of Kentucky" and authorizing the formation of a State government and Admission thereafter]

• 1st (1792-1799) [Adopted: 19 April 1792 Convention convened, 2 April 1792, Ratified: 19 April 1792 not submitted to the People; effective upon Admission, 1 June 1792]

• 2nd (1800-1850) [Adopted: 17 August 1799 Convention convened, 22 July 1799, Ratified: 17 August 1799 not submitted to the People; effective 1 January 1800]

• 3rd (1850-1891) [Adopted: 7 May 1850 Convention convened, 1 October 1849, Ratified: 11 June 1850 ratified by a vote of 71,563 to 20,302]

• 4th (1891-) [Adopted: 28 September 1891 Convention convened, 9 September 1890; the Convention submitted its work to the People on 11 April 1891 and recessed. On 2 September 1891, after this Constitution had already been ratified by the People, the Convention reconvened and- after approving a number of amendments to it- declared the amended result to have been adopted on 28 September, Ratified: 3 August 1891 ratified by a vote of 213,950 to 74,446]

Executive Branch All States

Chief Executive
	• GOVERNOR
Successor to a Vacancy
	• Lieutenant Governor [elected on same ticket with GOVERNOR; nominated with Governor as well]

Major Executive Officers Elected Statewide All States 2020 Office holders
	• Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2019, 2023. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
	• Lieutenant Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2019, 2023. Elected on a ticket with Governor; no separate Primary for Lt Gov from Gov
	• Secretary of State: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2019, 2023
	• Attorney General: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2019, 2023
	• Treasurer: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2019, 2023
	• Auditor of Public Accounts: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2019, 2023
	• Commissioner of Agriculture: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2019, 2023

Legislative Branch All States

Legislature
	• GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Upper House
	• Senate
Lower House
	• House of Representatives

Judicial Branch All States

Court of Last Resort
	• Supreme Court
Intermediate Appellate Court
	• Court of Appeals

Local Government


PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION All States
	• County [Type: Strong, Executive: Judge(=Executive), Legislative: FISCAL COURT]
	MINOR CIVIL DIVISION All States
		• district [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]

Incorporated Municipalities All States

Localities
	• Kentucky Civil Divisions and Municipalities


Key Statewide / Federal Officials All States
	Kentucky Officials

Statutory Election Information All States

General Election All States
	• Federal: Tuesday next after first Monday in November in even-numbered years. State: Tuesday next after first Monday in November in odd-numbered years. [Ky. Const. § 148]
Presidential Primary All States
	• ... the first Tuesday after the third Monday in May, in each presidential election year (KRS 118.561(1))
State Primary All States
	• (--2008) (KRS 118.025(3)) 1st Tuesday after 3rd Monday in May. (KRS 118.245) (1) The candidate for office, other than the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor, receiving the highest number of votes in a primary ... shall be the nominee .... (2) A slate of candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor that receives not less than forty percent (40%) of its party's votes cast shall be the nominee ... except that if two (2) slates of candidates receive forty percent (40%) or more of their party's votes, the slate receiving the higher number of votes shall be its party's nominee, and no runoff primary shall be conducted. (KSR 118.025 (4)) A runoff primary shall be held thirty-five (35) days after the date of the May primary, if it shall be necessary, pursuant to KRS 118.245, unless that date falls on a holiday; in that case, a runoff primary shall be held on the succeeding Tuesday. However, if either a primary election is contested or a recount of the votes cast in a primary is requested, a runoff primary shall be held on the first Tuesday following the thirty-fifth day following the conclusion of any contest proceeding or recount, if it shall be necessary, unless that date falls on a holiday; in that case, a runoff primary shall be held on the succeeding Tuesday.
	• (2008--) (KRS 118.025(3)) 1st Tuesday after 3rd Monday in May. (KRS 118.245) (1) The candidate for office, other than the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor, receiving the highest number of votes in a primary election for the office ... shall be the nominee .... (2) The slate of candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor receiving the highest number of votes in a primary shall be the nominees ....
Polling times All States
	• The polls shall be opened on the day of a primary, runoff primary, special election, or regular election at 6 a.m., prevailing time, and shall remain open until each voter who is waiting in line at the polls at 6 p.m., prevailing time, has voted. (KRS 118.035(1))

Links Links to other web sites

Constitution All States
	• Kentucky Constitution.
Election Authority
	• Kentucky Registry of Election Finance
	• Kentucky Secretary of State - Elections
	• State Board of Elections
Legislature All States
	• Kentucky Legislature
	• Kentucky Legislature
Democratic
	• Kentucky Democratic Party
Republican
	• Republican Party of Kentucky
Third Party
	• Justice Party of Kentucky
	• Kentucky Green Party
	• Kentucky Right to Life Association
	• Libertarian Party of Kentucky
	• The Unity Party of Kentucky
Media & others
	• Bowling Green Daily News
	• Central Kentucky News-Journal - Campbellsville
	• Jefferson Review - Louisville
	• Lexington Herald-Leader
	• Messenger-Inquirer - Owensboro
	• Page One - Politics in Kentucky
	• Politics1.com - Kentucky
	• State Journal - Frankfort
	• The Advocate Messenger - Danville
	• The Courier-Journal - Louisville
	• The Evansville Courier & Press
	• The Gleaner - Henderson
	• The Kentucky Post - Covington
	• The Kentucky Standard - Bardstown
	• The Ledger Independent - Maysville
	• The Ledger Independent - Maysville
	• The News-Enterprise - Elizabethtown
	• The Paducah Sun - Paducah
	• The Times Leader - Princeton
	• The Vermont Cynic
	• The Winchester Sun
	• WAVE TV - NBC - Louisville
	• WBKO TV - ABC - Bowling Green
	• WHAS TV - ABC - Louisville
	• WKYT & WYMT TV - CBS - Lexington
	• WTVQ - ABC - Lexington