Thousands of Kentuckians are expected to file paper work with the Secretary of State and their local county clerks to seek political office during the 2010 election cycle. Potential candidates seeking an office on the 2010 ballot may begin filing with the Office of the Secretary of State and their county clerks on November 4, 2009. Candidates will either appear on the May 18, 2010 primary or November 2, 2010 general election ballots.

"This election cycle should be exciting in Kentucky with so many important races on the ballot," stated Secretary of State Trey Grayson. "Hopefully, many citizens will give serious consideration to becoming candidates for one of the many races on the ballot in 2010."

Republican and Democratic candidates have until January 26, 2010 to file for office. Independent or political group candidates, excluding federal offices, must file a statement of intent by April 1, 2010. All independent or political group candidates have until August 10, 2010 to file their petitions. Each of the filing dates includes a 4:00 p.m. filing deadline.

Candidates for offices that file with the Office of the Secretary of State may begin to file their papers as early as 8:00 a.m. EST. Candidates for offices that file with the local county clerk should call their clerk's office for more information about filing times.

Offices that file with the Russell County Clerk's office include:

• County Judge/Executive

• County Attorney

• County Clerk

• Property Valuation Administrator

• Sheriff

• Jailer

• Coroner

• Fiscal Court Magistrates

• Constables

• Surveyor

• Mayors

• City Council Members

• School Board Members

• Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors

 In order to help candidates seeking political office, the Office of the Secretary of State developed a ballot access procedural manual titled: Declaring Your Candidacy. This manual has been updated for this election cycle and provides Kentuckians with a quick guide to filing for political office.

Although the publication focuses primarily on candidate filing procedures, sample forms for attaining ballot access, and qualifications for each elective office, it also includes other important and pertinent election information that may affect candidates. The manual contains an election schedule, sample filing forms of various types, contact information for state election agencies, and answers to candidates' most frequently asked questions.

There will also be additional races this year to fill unexpired terms. Currently, the following offices that file with the Secretary of State will appear on the ballot in order to fill unexpired terms:

"Our office has already received hundreds of phone calls concerning the elections in 2010, outpacing our call volume in 2006 when we had a record number of races on the ballot," remarked Secretary Grayson.

For more information about filing to run for elected office in Kentucky, to obtain a copy of Declaring Your Candidacy, or to view a list of candidates, visit www.sos.ky.gov/elections.