Petition signature requirements for independent U.S. House candidates, 2018
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Note: This article is not intended to serve as a guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.
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In order to get on the ballot as a candidate for the United States House of Representatives, an individual must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are established and enforced at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.
- An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
- An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
- An individual can run as a write-in candidate.
In 2018, all 435 U.S. House seats were up for election. This article outlines the petition signature requirements for independent U.S. House candidates in 2018.[1]
Note: In some states, signature requirements for U.S. House seats vary by district. For such states, this article does not provide signature requirements for each U.S. House seat up for election. Instead, one representative figure is presented. As of November 7, 2017, it was not possible to determine signature requirements in some states due to insufficient data availability. This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
Petition signature requirements by state
| Petition signature requirements for independent U.S. House candidates, 2018 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Statutory requirement | 2018 requirement | 2018 requirement as a percentage of mean district population[2] | Notes |
| Alabama | 3% of the total vote cast for governor in the district in the last general election | 4,596 | 0.65% | District 1 |
| Alaska | 1% of the number of voters who cast ballots in the preceding general election | 3,213 | 0.45% | At-large district |
| Arizona | 3% of the total registered voters who are not members of a political party that is qualified for representation | N/A | N/A | Requirements are calculated using registration data from March 1 of the election year. |
| Arkansas | 2,000 signatures, or 3% of voters in the district, whichever is fewer | 2,000 | 0.28% | District 1 |
| California | A petition containing 2,000 signatures may be used in lieu of paying a filing fee | 2,000 | 0.28% | Any district |
| Colorado | 800, or 2% of votes cast for the office in the last general election, whichever is less | 800 | 0.11% | Any district |
| Connecticut | 1% of votes cast for the office at the last election, or 7,500, whichever is less | 3,129 | 0.44% | District 1 |
| Delaware | 1% of all eligible voters | N/A | N/A | At-large district; requirements are calculated using registration data from December 31 of the year prior to the election. |
| Florida | If a candidate does not file by paying filing fees, he or she may file a petition with signatures equal to at least 1% of the total number of registered voters in the geographical area represented by the office being sought | 5,303 | 0.75% | District 1 |
| Georgia | 5% of the total registered voters eligible to vote in the last election for the office being sought | N/A | N/A | This figure cannot be calculated using publicly available data. |
| Hawaii | 25 | 25 | 0.00% | Any district |
| Idaho | 500 | 500 | 0.07% | Any district |
| Illinois | 5% of the total number of district voters who voted in the last general election | 16,640 | 2.34% | District 1 |
| Indiana | 2% of the total votes cast for secretary of state in the candidate's congressional district in the last election | N/A | N/A | This figure cannot be calculated using publicly available data. |
| Iowa | 1,500 divided by the number of congressional districts | 375 | 0.05% | Any district |
| Kansas | 4% of the current total of qualified voters in the district | N/A | N/A | This figure cannot be calculated using publicly available data. |
| Kentucky | 400 | 400 | 0.06% | Any district |
| Louisiana | 1,000 signatures from voters eligible to vote for the office being sought (in lieu of a filing fee) | 1,000 | 0.14% | Any district |
| Maine | Between 2,000 and 3,000 | 2,000 | 0.28% | Any district |
| Maryland | 1% of the total number of voters who are eligible to vote for the office being sought by the candidate | 5,224 | 0.73% | District 1 |
| Massachusetts | 2,000 | 2,000 | 0.28% | Any district |
| Michigan | Between 3,000 and 6,000 | 3,000 | 0.42% | Any district |
| Minnesota | 1,000 | 1,000 | 0.14% | Any district |
| Mississippi | At least 200 signatures | 200 | 0.03% | Any district |
| Missouri | At least 2% of the total number of voters who voted at the last election for candidates for the office being sought, or 10,000, whichever is less | 6,281 | 0.88% | District 1 |
| Montana | 5% of the total votes cast at the last general election for the successful candidate for the office being sought | 14,268 | 2.01% | At-large district |
| Nebraska | 10% of all registered voters entitled to vote for the office | N/A | N/A | This figure cannot be calculated using publicly available data. A candidate guide was scheduled to be released in December 2017. |
| Nevada | At least 1% of the total votes cast at the last general election for U.S. Representative, or 100 signatures, whichever is less | 1,884 | 0.27% | District 1 |
| New Hampshire | 1,500 | 1,500 | 0.21% | Any district |
| New Jersey | No more than 100 signatures | 100 | 0.01% | Any district |
| New Mexico | At least 3% of the total number of votes cast for governor in the previous general election in the district | N/A | N/A | A candidate guide for independent and minor party candidates was scheduled to be released in March 2018 |
| New York | 3,500 | 3,500 | 0.49% | Any district |
| North Carolina | 1.5% of all registered voters in the district | N/A | N/A | Requirements are calculated using registration data from January 1 of the election year. |
| North Dakota | 1,000 | 1,000 | 0.14% | At-large district |
| Ohio | Varies by size of district; if 5,000 or more electors in the district voted for the office of governor in the most recent election, 1% of electors; if less than 5,000 electors voted for said office, 5% of the vote, or 25, whichever is less | 2,025-6,075 | 0.28% | District 2 |
| Oklahoma | In lieu of paying a filing fee, candidates may file a petition containing signatures equaling 4% of registered voters who will be eligible for vote for the candidate in the election | N/A | N/A | Requirements are calculated using registration data from January 15 of the election year. |
| Oregon | 1% of the total votes cast for all candidates for presidential electors in the most recent general election within the electoral district for which the nomination is being sought | 3,990 | 0.56% | District 1 |
| Pennsylvania | 2% of the largest entire vote cast for an elected candidate in the last election within the district | N/A | N/A | This figure cannot be calculated using publicly available data. |
| Rhode Island | 500 | 500 | 0.07% | Any district |
| South Carolina | 5% of the qualified registered voters in the district or area to be represented | N/A | N/A | Requirements are calculated using registration data from the 120-day pre-election registration report. |
| South Dakota | 1% of the total combined vote cast for governor at the last certified gubernatorial election | 2,775 | 0.39% | At-large district |
| Tennessee | 25 | 25 | 0.00% | Any district |
| Texas | 5% of all votes cast for all gubernatorial candidates in the last gubernatorial election in the district, or 500, whichever is less | N/A | N/A | This figure cannot be calculated using publicly available data. |
| Utah | 300 registered voters residing within the district, or 5% of registered voters within the district, whichever is less | 300 | 0.04% | Any district |
| Vermont | 500 | 500 | 0.07% | At-large district |
| Virginia | 1,000 | 1,000 | 0.14% | All districts |
| Washington | If a candidate submits a petition in lieu of paying the filing, the number of signatures must equal the dollar amount of the filing fee | 1,740 | 0.24% | All districts |
| West Virginia | 1% of the entire vote cast at the last preceding general election for the office being sought | 2,370 | 0.33% | District 1 |
| Wisconsin | Between 1,000 and 2,000 | 1,000 | 0.14% | All districts |
| Wyoming | 2% of the total number of votes cast for United States Representative in the last general election | 5,036 | 0.71% | At-large district |
Recent news
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See also
- Ballot access
- Ballot access for major and minor party candidates
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ The information in this article was compiled from official candidate guides, correspondence with state election officials, and calculations completed by Ballotpedia staffers based on state statutes.
- ↑ These percentages were calculated using the average congressional district population as calculated by the United States Census Bureau in the 2010 census.
