- Magistrates, sometimes called justices of the peace, sit on the fiscal court, which serves as the county legislature and makes laws for the county. 
- They decide how money is spent and raised by the county, including taxes, bonds, and property transactions.
- They oversee county infrastructure like roads, manage county property, conduct building inspections, issue permits, and operate the county jail.
- Each county features 3 to 8 districts, each electing 1 magistrate.
- Magistrates are elected for 4-year terms in partisan elections. Their salary caps at approximately $93,000 for full-time work, adjusted based on hours worked. The fiscal court determines this salary.

2026 Kentucky Primary Election

Kentucky

Housing & Urban Development

Public Safety

Economy

Transportation & Infrastructure

Public Services

Ethics & Conduct

Magistrate

- The county judge-executive acts as the chief executive officer of your county government. They can appoint staff and fill office vacancies such as sheriff or county attorney.
- The county judge-executive prepares the county budget, oversees funds, and keeps fiscal records.
- The county judge-executive represents the county in discussions with other levels of government.
- The county judge/executive presides over and sits on the “fiscal court,” your county’s legislature. The fiscal court sets the budget for your county and passes laws. It is also responsible for county roads, jails, and social services. 
- The county judge/executive is elected to a four-year term in partisan elections. 
- The maximum annual salary for this position varies based on county size, ranging from approximately $85,000 to $154,400.

Chief executive officer of your county and head of its governing board.

Boyd

Policing

Budget

Administration

County Judge Executive

- Property valuation administrators (PVAs) assess and assign value to all real and tangible property in the county. This includes residential property, commercial property, cars, boats, and business assets. 
- PVAs are audited by the state and have their assessment certified by the Department of Revenue. 
- PVAs are funded by the local county or city budgets.

Taxes

Property Valuation Administrator

- Board of education members work as a team to lead the school district by setting policy, providing resources, and overseeing employees. 
- The board of education is responsible for the local school budget. It reviews expenditures, allocates funds, and approves facility plans. The board may levy taxes if deemed necessary.
- The board of education hires and directly supervises the district superintendent.
- School board of education numbers are elected in staggered even-numbered years through a nonpartisan election and serve four-year terms. Most boards in Kentucky consist of five members. 
- Independent school districts elect board members at large; county school districts elect board members from divisions. 
- School board members do not receive a salary. They may be compensated for costs associated with state-mandated activities. 

Governs the local public school system and allocates the education budget. 

Economic Growth

Student Wellbeing

Access to Education

School Curriculum

School Facilities & Resources

Teachers

Board of Education Member

- There are three county districts, each with one elected commissioner. The general election is voted "at large," allowing all county voters to choose nominees from each district, except in Jefferson County. 
- County commissioners serve on the fiscal court, which acts as the county’s legislature and governing body. The county judge/executive leads this court as its fourth member.
- The fiscal court makes county laws, allocates the budget, and raises funds through taxes, bonds, or selling county property. 
- The fiscal court can choose to administer public assistance, health, and other social services. It can also choose to regulate or restrict building construction or use.
- Commissioners are elected to 4-year terms. These elections are partisan. 
- The maximum annual salary for a county commissioner is about $93,000 if they are working full time.

Creates new laws and passes the budget for your county.

Healthcare

County Commissioner

- A county surveyor is an elected official responsible for conducting land surveys and determining property boundaries within a county.
- The surveyor establishes and verifies boundary lines and property corners when requested by courts or landowners. Surveyors create official maps (plats) and records that document land measurements and boundaries.
- The surveyor may assist courts in cases involving land disputes, property division, or public projects such as roads and infrastructure.
- County surveyors are elected to four-year terms and must be licensed professional land surveyors in Kentucky.
- Candidates must be at least 24 years old, a U.S. citizen, a Kentucky resident for at least two years, and a resident of the county for at least one year before the election.

An official who determines land boundaries and property lines.

County Surveyor

- The sheriff is a law enforcement officer with arrest power and the right to carry a concealed weapon. They hire and manage trained deputies.
- In most counties, the role of the jailer, who handles jail management, and the sheriff are separate offices, but some counties such as Lexington-Fayette County and Louisville-Jefferson County, combine these roles. 
- Property owners pay property taxes to the sheriff, who keeps records and delivers the money to the appropriate part of government.
- The sheriff sits on the four person county board of elections. On election day, the board of elections rules on questions about voter registration, proof of identification, and signatures on absentee ballots.
- This position has a maximum annual salary based on county size. The current maximum values range from about $85,000 to $154,400. 

The chief law enforcement officer of your county.

Jail Management

Criminal Justice

Sheriff

- The constable delivers official legal documents, like a court summons or subpoenas and may serve warrants where allowed.
- Due to a 2022 law change, someone elected to this office does not automatically have law enforcement powers if the person did not have those powers before. To have law enforcement powers, a constable must be certified by the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council or grandfathered in, having served as a constable before 2023. 
- The constable is allowed to carry a concealed weapon and ay seize personal property to collect on fees owed to them.
- They are elected to a 4-year term.
- In all counties except Jefferson and Fayette, constables are compensated from the fees they collect. In Jefferson and Fayette, they are paid a $9,600 per year salary.

Delivers official legal documents and collects fees. 

Judicial Efficiency

Constable

- A county attorney is an elected official who serves as both a prosecutor and the legal advisor for the county government.
- The county attorney prosecutes violations of criminal and penal law in District Court, including misdemeanors, infractions, juvenile cases, and other lower-level offenses.
- County attorneys are elected to four-year terms. Candidates must be at least 24 years old, a U.S. citizen, a Kentucky resident for at least two years, a resident of the county for at least one year, and a licensed practicing attorney for at least two years before election.
- Compensation varies by county, with salaries reaching approximately $184,000 in some areas, and county attorneys may also engage in private legal practice.

An attorney who prosecutes local cases and advises county government.

Fayette

Election Oversight

Legal Experience

County Attorney

Worthington Hills

Woodlawn Park

Woodland Hills

Windy Hills

Wildwood

Westwood

West Buechel

Wellington

Watterson Park

Thornhill

Ten Broeck

Sycamore

Strathmoor Village

Strathmoor Manor

Spring Valley

Spring Mill

South Park View

Shively

Seneca Gardens

St. Regis Park

St. Matthews

Rolling Hills

Rolling Fields

Riverwood

Richlawn

Prospect

Poplar Hills

Plantation

Parkway Village

Old Brownsboro Place

Norwood

Northfield

Norbourne Estates

Murray Hill

Moorland

Mockingbird Valley

Middletown

Meadowview Estates

Meadowbrook Farm

Meadow Vale

Maryhill Estates

Manor Creek

Lynnview

Lyndon

Louisville

Lincolnshire

Langdon Place

Kingsley

Jeffersontown

Indian Hills

Hurstbourne Acres

Hurstbourne

Houston Acres

Hollyvilla

Hollow Creek

Hills and Dales

Hickory Hill

Heritage Creek

Green Spring

Graymoor-Devondale

Goose Creek

Glenview Manor

Glenview Hills

Glenview

Forest Hills

Fincastle

Druid Hills

Douglass Hills

Crossgate

Creekside

Coldstream

Cambridge

Brownsboro Village

Brownsboro Farm

Broeck Pointe

Briarwood

Blue Ridge Manor

Bellewood

Bellemeade

Beechwood Village

Barbourmeade

Bancroft

Audubon Park

Anchorage

Wurtland

Worthville

Worthington

Woodlawn

Williamstown

Wilder

Warsaw

Walton

Villa Hills

Vanceburg

Union

Taylorsville

Taylor Mill

Sparta

Southgate

South Shore

Full profiles for only statewide races and 5 counties, including Boyd and Fayette County

2026 Kentucky candidates

Boyd Magistrate, District 1, Democratic Primary

1 candidate

How this impacts you

Boyd County Judge Executive, Republican Primary

1 candidate

How this impacts you

Boyd Property Valuation Administrator, Republican Primary

2 candidates

Boyd Board of Education Member, District 2

1 candidate

How this impacts you

Boyd County Commissioner, District 3, Republican Primary

2 candidates

How this impacts you

Boyd County Surveyor, Republican Primary

1 candidate

How this impacts you

Boyd Sheriff, Republican Primary

2 candidates

How this impacts you

Fayette Constable, District 2, Democratic Primary

1 candidate

How this impacts you

Fayette Constable, District 3, Democratic Primary

2 candidates

How this impacts you

Fayette County Attorney, Democratic Primary

1 candidate

How this impacts you