| Last Action | 02/26/26: floor amendment (5) filed to Committee Substitute , floor amendments (4) and (6-title) filed to bill |
|---|---|
| Title | AN ACT relating to elections and declaring an emergency. |
| Bill Documents | Introduced |
| Fiscal Impact Statements |
Local Mandate
Additional Fiscal Impact Statements Exist |
| Bill Request Number | 1334 |
| Sponsors | DJ Johnson, J. Hodgson, T. Roberts |
| Summary of Original Version | Amend KRS 30A.145 to require the Administrative Office of the Courts to prepare an all-time list each month of persons convicted of a felony, including persons whose cases are on appeal, and provide the list to the State Board of Elections; amend KRS 83A.040 to require a special election if more than the majority of the membership of a legislative body is vacated because of an election error due to no fault of any candidate or fraud; establish that members of the legislative body whose term expires shall remain in office until the contest and any appeals of the regular election are complete and final; create a new section of KRS Chapter 116 to require the State Board of Elections to compare the statewide voter registration system against the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements Program, or its successor program, each month to remove registered voters who are not citizens of the United States within 5 days; require the State Board of Elections to forward the name, date of birth, last known address, and voter registration record of any individual who is removed to the Attorney General; require the State Board of Elections to notify the county clerk of the county in which the voter lived of the removal; amend KRS 116.113 to specify that the Administrative Office of the Courts shall include persons convicted of a felony whose case is on appeal in the lists they send to the State Board of Elections for removal from the voter registration records; create a new section of KRS Chapter 117 to define "cast vote record"; allow county clerks to use a ballot verifier software program to produce electronic images of cast ballots and cast vote records for public inspection, as long as the records do not contain voter-identifying information; allow counties to use the software program to perform additional audits; establish that the State Board of Elections shall promulgate administrative regulations to establish uniform standards for formatting, publication, and redaction of images of ballots and cast vote records; amend KRS 117.125 to establish that no voting equipment or voting systems shall be purchased after the effective date of the Act that utilize non-human readable codes, including barcodes, QR codes, or other encrypted markings to represent or tabulate a voter's choices on the ballot; amend KRS 117.383 to require that the ballot scanner and race selected for a hand-to-eye recount by the Secretary of State shall have at least 10 votes cast; amend KRS Chapter 118.176 to establish that a person who successfully challenges the bona fides of a candidate may recover certain costs; create a new chapter of KRS Chapter 118A to establish that judicial candidates may disclose their political party, state current and past voter registration status, and communicate political values or viewpoints consistent with that party affiliation; establish that judicial candidates shall not claim to be the official nominee of a political party, use language or materials that imply nomination, designation, or endorsement by a political party, or use party symbols, slogans, or imagery in a manner that would lead someone to believe they are running in a partisan election; amend KRS 120.165 to require the county clerk and local board of elections to call a special election if a majority of the offices of a legislative body are deemed vacant; establish that a person bringing a successful election contest may recover certain costs; amend KRS 121.015 to define "executive committee of a political party"; amend KRS 121.150 to allow federal candidates to contribute to a party executive committee if the amount of the contribution is within contribution limits and if the contribution is not earmarked for any particular candidate or slate of candidates; specify that a qualified political party committee, including a state or county executive committee, may endorse, support, oppose, and make contributions or expenditures to nonpartisan candidates; EMERGENCY. |
| Index Headings of Original Version |
Local Mandate - Legislative body, vacancy, special election Attorney General - Voter registration, election crime, determination Campaign Finance - Contributions, political party committee, nonpartisan candidates Campaign Finance - Executive committee of a political party, definition Campaign Finance - Federal candidates, contribution, party executive committee Cities - Legislative body, vacancy, special election County Clerks - Ballot verifier software platform, public access, audit County Clerks - Cast vote record, ballot image, public access County Clerks - Voter registration, felony conviction, removal Court Of Appeals - Bona fides, challenge, costs, recovery Court Of Appeals - Election contest, costs, recovery Courts - Felony conviction, voting, reporting requirements Courts - Judicial candidates, political affiliation, conduct Courts, Circuit - Bona fides, challenge, costs, recovery Courts, Circuit - Election contest, costs, recovery Effective Dates, Emergency - Elections, campaign finance, procedures, deadline Elections And Voting - Cast vote record, definition Elections And Voting - Equipment, non-human readable codes, prohibit Elections And Voting - Hand-to-eye recount, random selection, requirements Fees - Candidates, bona fides, court costs State Agencies - Board of elections, voter registration, list maintenance Local Government - Legislative body, vacancy, special election Secretary Of State - Hand-to-eye recount, random selection, requirements State Agencies - Board of Elections, ballot images, cast vote records, regulations |
| Jump to Proposed Amendments |
House Committee Substitute 1 with Fiscal Impact Statements House Floor Amendment 1 House Floor Amendment 2 House Floor Amendment 3 House Floor Amendment 4 House Floor Amendment 5 House Floor Amendment 6 |
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| 02/09/26 |
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| 02/19/26 |
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| 02/20/26 |
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| 02/23/26 |
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| 02/24/26 |
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| 02/26/26 |
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| Amendment | House Committee Substitute 1 |
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| Fiscal Impact Statement | Local Mandate to House Committee Substitute 1 |
| Summary | Retain original provisions, except remove amendments to KRS 30A.145; delete provisions requiring the State Board of Elections to compare the statewide voter registration system against the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements Program; amend KRS 27A.070 to require the Administrative Office of the Courts to send the State Board of Elections an all-time list of persons convicted of a felony, including those whose case is currently on appeal, by July 1, 2026; require the State Board of Elections to remove any person identified through the list as ineligible to vote from the voter registration records by August 1, 2026; create a new section of KRS Chapter 116 to allow the State Board of Elections to enter into agreements with agencies of the federal government for the purpose of identifying and removing individuals who are not citizens of the United States from the voter registration records; identify procedures for identifying and removing unauthorized voters; amend KRS 117.125 to establish that continued use of a voting system and all voting equipment approved by the State Board of Elections and used by a county as of the effective date of this Act is permissible until a replacement voting system is acquired by the county; make technical corrections; amend KRS 117.155 and 117.205 to conform; amend KRS 121.015 to establish that certain fees are not included in the definition of "contribution"; amend KRS 121.065, relating to limits on political advertising rates, to include digital media platforms; amend KRS 121.110 to require the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives to each appoint a member of the Registry of Election Finance; remove requirement for the Governor to make appointments; require that any vacancy on the registry be filled within 30 days; establish that members of the registry shall be reimbursed for necessary travel and expenses in the same manner as state employees; amend KRS 121.140 to establish that certain penalties shall not accrue or be assessed until 5 business days after the registry has provided notice to the candidate or campaign treasurer of the delinquency; amend KRS 121.150 to allow a state or county executive committee of a political party to make contributions to certain civic organizations; allow candidates or slates of candidates for nomination to any state, county, city, or district office, their campaign committees, or anyone on their behalf to solicit or accept contributions within the 60 days following the primary election for the sole purpose of paying off primary election debt; amend KRS 121.190, relating to identification of contributors and advertisers, to include digital media. |
| Index Headings |
Local Mandate - Citizenship, voter registration, documentation, procedure Campaign Finance - Advertisements, rate protections, digital media Campaign Finance - Contribution, processing fees, limits Campaign Finance - Executive committee, civic organization, donation Campaign Finance - Fees, accrual, procedure County Clerks - Citizenship, voter registration, documentation, procedure County Clerks - Voter registration, felony conviction, removal Courts - Felony conviction, voting, reporting requirements Elections And Voting - Citizenship, voter registration, documentation, procedure Immigration - Citizenship, voter registration, documentation, procedure State Agencies - Board of Elections, federal agreements, voter registration, list maintenance State Agencies - Citizenship, voter registration, removal, procedure State Agencies - Registry of Election Finance, membership, appointments State Agencies - Registry of Election Finance, vacancy, requirements United States - Citizenship, voter registration, documentation, procedure |
| Amendment | House Floor Amendment 1 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | M. Marzian |
| Summary | Retain original provisions, except delete Section 11 creating a new section of KRS Chapter 118A to authorize judicial candidates to disclose their political party, state current and past voter registration status, and communicate political values or viewpoints consistent with that party affiliation. |
| Index Headings |
Courts - Judicial candidates, political affiliation, conduct Elections And Voting - Judicial candidates, political affiliation, conduct |
| Amendment | House Floor Amendment 2 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | DJ Johnson |
| Summary | Retain original provisions, except amend KRS 27A.070 to require the Administrative Office of the Courts to send the State Board of Elections an all-time list of persons convicted of a felony by July 24, 2026; require the State Board of Elections to remove ineligible voters from its voter registration records by August 4, 2026; create a new section of KRS Chapter 116 to require the State Board of Elections to enter into agreements with agencies of the federal government to identify individuals who are not citizens of the United States and who are registered to vote in this state; delete Section 5, relating to cast vote records and ballot images; delete language amending KRS 121.110 relating to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives appointing members to the registry; remove language amending KRS 121.150 relating to primary election contributions; delete the emergency clause. |
| Index Headings |
Campaign Finance - Primary election, contributions, debt County Clerks - Cast vote record, ballot image, public access Courts - Felony conviction, voting, reporting requirements Elections And Voting - Cast vote record, ballot image, public access State Agencies - Board of Elections, voter registration, list maintenance, federal agreements State Agencies - Registry of Election Finance, membership, appointments Immigration - Citizenship, voter registration, federal agreements United States - Citizenship, voter registration, federal agreements |
| Amendment | House Floor Amendment 3 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | DJ Johnson |
| Summary | Make title amendment. |
| Index Headings | Title Amendments - HB 534 |
| Amendment | House Floor Amendment 4 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | E. Hancock |
| Summary | Retain original provisions, except delete Section 9 creating a new section of KRS Chapter 118A to authorize judicial candidates to disclose their political party, state current and past voter registration status, and communicate political values or viewpoints consistent with that party affiliation. |
| Index Headings |
Courts - Judicial candidates, political affiliation, conduct Elections And Voting - Judicial candidates, political affiliation, conduct |
| Amendment | House Floor Amendment 5 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | A. Moore |
| Summary | Retain original provisions, except delete Section 3 creating a new section of KRS Chapter 116 relating to the State Board of Elections entering into agreements with agencies of the federal government for the purpose of identifying and removing individuals who are not citizens of the United States from the voter registration records; delete the emergency clause. |
| Index Headings |
Elections And Voting - Voter registration, list maintenance, federal agreements Immigration - Citizenship, voter registration, federal agreements State Agencies - Board of Elections, voter registration, list maintenance, federal agreements United States - Citizenship, voter registration, federal agreements |
| Amendment | House Floor Amendment 6 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | A. Moore |
| Summary | Make title amendment. |
| Index Headings | Title Amendments - HB 534 |
Last updated: 2/27/2026 4:32 PM (EST)