Clerk’s Office provides ‘important points’ for candidates filing for 2022 election, hoping to avoid issues

The Daviess County Clerk’s Office wants to remind candidates of some important points as they file their paperwork to run for office. Officials said in the past, there have been paperwork issues that have arisen that candidates discover later. The filing deadline is 4 p.m. on Jan. 7.

“We are sending this important information out to the public as a precaution to having issues arise later,” a message from the Clerk’s Office reads. “If a candidate thinks that they may have issues, they should come down and see our Election Deputies early in the process so that their paperwork can be amended if necessary.”

The Clerk’s Office provided the following points:

1. No signatures can be placed on a candidate’s paperwork prior to Nov. 3, 2021.  Therefore, no notary can witness and attest to signatures prior to Nov. 3, 2021.
2. Any candidate running for county commissioner, constable, or justice of the peace must have two signatures of their political party affiliation. Those two signees must live in the same district (east, central, or west) as the candidate (this is the district that the candidate will be running in). 
3. Anyone running for Owensboro city commissioner must have at least two signatures from voters who reside in the City of Owensboro.  
4. All Candidates, no matter their financial filing status (spending  more or less than $3,000), must go online and complete their registration with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance (kref.ky.gov) prior to filing their papers with the Clerk’s Office. If you have issues with this process, the Daviess County Clerk’s Office office does have a step-by-step instruction for completing this process. The filing for office can’t be completed without the official KREF001 form that is available after a candidate files and is approved by the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance. 
5. Candidates should review and proof their paperwork for errors and omissions prior to filing. If the candidates have any questions, they should contact the Election Office at 270-240-5771; the office can help prior to a candidate filing their paperwork. The Clerk’s Office takes any paperwork “Prima Facie” which means that they check to see that all pertinent information is completed; however, it is the responsibility of the candidate to make sure it is completed properly, as these errors could be used to challenge a candidate’s bona fide credentials as a candidate for their particular office in court. As to not show preferential treatment for any candidate, the Clerk’s Office can’t be responsible for completing and proofing any candidate’s paperwork after it is filed. The office can check party affiliation, district, and voter status for candidates in advance. Contact the office for any assistance prior to filing.  
6. Candidates should make sure that their name is listed as they wish to have it appear on the ballot on the line designated for that information. Names can be no more than 25 characters (including spaces); if a true nickname is used, an affidavit attested and notarized by five individuals must accompany your paperwork.