The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Michael Meredith, was introduced because of the potential consequences of reapportioning fiscal court districts during an election year1. Specifically, there was the potential that a candidate could win their primary election, but then become ineligible to appear on the November ballot due to subsequent changes in the fiscal court district boundaries.
This legislation also gives the 2023 county board of elections greater flexibility in redrawing precincts to accommodate the fiscal court district boundary changes.
There are no other changes to the reapportionment process. Beginning in May 2023, fiscal courts will start the KRS 67.045 reapportionment process in the same manner as has been done in prior decades.
HB 212 has an emergency clause and took effect when signed by the Governor.
Please contact KACo Attorney Rich Ornstein (rich.ornstein@kaco.org) with any questions regarding the reapportionment process.
1Notwithstanding the provisions of KRS 67.045, 117.055(3), and 2021 Ky. Acts ch. 152, sec. 4, HB 212 changes the date when fiscal courts must initiate reapportionment proceedings from May of the second year following the decennial census of the United States to May of the third year following the 2020 decennial census.
