Filing requirements for congressional candidates
 |
| Ballot access for major and minor party candidates |
|---|
| Ballot access for presidential candidates |
| Select a state below to learn more about ballot access requirements for candidates in that state. |
|
|
| Ballot access requirements for political parties in the United States |
| List of political parties in the United States |
| Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker |
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.
|
In order to get on the ballot, a congressional candidate must meet a variety of filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether and how a candidate can appear on an election ballot. Because these laws are adopted and enforced at the state level, filing requirements vary from state to state. In general, there are three methods by which an individual can become a congressional candidate:
- 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.
This article provides general information about federal and state requirements for congressional candidates. Filing deadlines are also provided.
To see congressional filing deadlines for upcoming elections, click here.
For state-specific congressional filing deadlines, click here.
Requirements to run for congressional office
Federal requirements
Although specific filing processes are set by the states, the United States Constitution does establish the following qualifications for congressional candidates:[1]
| “ | No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.[2] | ” |
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is the only agency authorized to regulate the financing of federal election campaigns, including campaigns for the United States House of Representatives). The states cannot impose additional requirements on federal candidates. Federal law requires all candidates to file a statement of candidacy within 15 days of receiving contributions or making expenditures that exceed $5,000. The statement of candidacy is the only federally mandated ballot access requirement for congressional candidates; all other ballot access procedures are mandated at the state level. The candidacy statement authorizes "a principal campaign committee to raise and spend funds" on behalf of the candidate. Within 10 days of filing the candidacy statement, the committee must file a statement of organization with the FEC.[3][4]
State requirements
In order to have his or her name printed on an election ballot, a congressional candidate must generally do one or both of the following: collect and file petition signatures or pay registration fees. Requirements vary from state to state and according to the type of candidate (e.g., major party candidate, minor party candidate, independent candidate, etc.). To learn more about specific ballot access requirements, select a state from the map below. If on a mobile device, select a state from the dropdown menu below.
Filing deadlines
2026
The following table lists filing deadlines and primary dates for statewide elections in 2026. Please note that dates are subject to change.
| State | Election date | Filing deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | May 19, 2026 | Jan. 23, 2026 - Alabama statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Alaska | Aug. 18, 2026 | June 1, 2026 - Alaska statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Arizona | Aug. 4, 2026 | April 6, 2026 - Arizona statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Arkansas | March 3, 2026 | Nov. 11, 2025 - Arkansas statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| California | June 2, 2026 | March 6, 2026 - California statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Colorado | June 30, 2026 | March 18, 2026 - Colorado statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Delaware | Sept. 15, 2026 | July 14, 2026 - Delaware statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Florida | Aug. 18, 2026 | April 24, 2026 - Florida statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Georgia | May 19, 2026 | March 6, 2026 - Georgia statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Hawaii | Aug. 8, 2026 | June 2, 2026 - Hawaii statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Illinois | March 17, 2026 | Nov. 3, 2025 - Illinois statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Indiana | May 5, 2026 | Feb. 6, 2026 - Indiana statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Iowa | June 2, 2026 | March 13, 2026 - Iowa statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Kentucky | May 19, 2026 | Jan. 9, 2026 - Kentucky statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Louisiana | April 18, 2026 | Jan. 16, 2026 - Louisiana statewide party primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Maryland | June 23, 2026 | Feb. 24, 2026 - Maryland statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Michigan | Aug. 4, 2026 | April 21, 2026 - Michigan statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Missouri | Aug. 4, 2026 | March 31, 2026 - Missouri statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Nevada | June 9, 2026 | March 13, 2026 - Nevada statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| North Carolina | March 3, 2026 | Dec. 19, 2025 - North Carolina statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Ohio | May 5, 2026 | Feb. 4, 2026 - Ohio statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Oklahoma | June 16, 2026 | April 3, 2026 - Oklahoma statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Oregon | May 19, 2026 | March 10, 2026 - Oregon statewide primary new candidate filing deadline March 3, 2026 - Oregon statewide primary incumbent candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Rhode Island | Sept. 8, 2026 | June 24, 2026 - Rhode Island statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| South Dakota | June 2, 2026 | March 31, 2026 - South Dakota statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Tennessee | Aug. 6, 2026 | March 10, 2026 - Tennessee statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Texas | March 3, 2026 | Dec. 8, 2025 - Texas statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Vermont | Aug. 11, 2026 | May 28, 2026 - Vermont statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Washington | Aug. 4, 2026 | May 8, 2026 - Washington statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| West Virginia | May 12, 2026 | Jan. 31, 2026 - West Virginia statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
| Wyoming | Aug. 18, 2026 | May 14, 2026 - Wyoming statewide primary candidate filing deadline | Source |
For filing information from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.
2024
The following table lists filing deadlines and primary dates for statewide elections in 2024. Please note that dates are subject to change.
| State | Primary date | Primary runoff date | Filing deadline for primary candidates | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 3/5/2024 | 4/16/2024 | 11/10/2023 | Source |
| Alaska | 8/20/2024 | N/A | 6/1/2024 | Source |
| Arizona | 7/30/2024 | N/A | 4/1/2024 | Source |
| Arkansas | 3/5/2024 | 4/2/2024 | 11/14/2023 | Source |
| California | 3/5/2024 | N/A | 12/8/2023 | Source |
| Colorado | 6/25/2024 | N/A | 3/19/2024 | Source |
| Connecticut | 8/13/2024 | N/A | 6/11/2024 | Source |
| Delaware | 9/10/2024 | N/A | 7/9/2024 | Source |
| Florida | 8/20/2024 | N/A | 4/26/2024[5] | Source |
| Georgia | 5/21/2024 | 6/18/2024 | 3/8/2024 | Source |
| Hawaii | 8/10/2024 | N/A | 6/4/2024 | Source |
| Idaho | 5/21/2024 | N/A | 3/15/2024 | Source |
| Illinois | 3/19/2024 | N/A | 12/4/2023 | Source |
| Indiana | 5/7/2024 | N/A | 2/9/2024 | Source |
| Iowa | 6/4/2024 | N/A | 3/15/2024[6] | Source |
| Kansas | 8/6/2024 | N/A | 6/3/2024 | Source |
| Kentucky | 5/21/2024 | N/A | 1/5/2024 | Source |
| Louisiana | 11/5/2024 | N/A | 7/19/2024 | Source |
| Maine | 6/11/2024 | N/A | 3/15/2024 | Source |
| Maryland | 5/14/2024 | N/A | 2/9/2024 | Source |
| Massachusetts | 9/3/2024 | N/A | 6/4/2024 | Source |
| Michigan | 8/6/2024 | N/A | 4/23/2024 | Source |
| Minnesota | 8/13/2024 | N/A | 6/4/2024 | Source |
| Mississippi | 3/12/2024 | 4/2/2024 | 1/12/2024 | Source |
| Missouri | 8/6/2024 | N/A | 3/26/2024 | Source |
| Montana | 6/4/2024 | N/A | 3/11/2024 | Source |
| Nebraska | 5/14/2024 | N/A | 3/1/2024[7] | Source |
| Nevada | 6/11/2024 | N/A | 3/15/2024[8] | Source |
| New Hampshire | 9/10/2024 | N/A | 6/14/2024 | Source |
| New Jersey | 6/4/2024 | N/A | 3/25/2024 | Source |
| New Mexico | 6/4/2024 | N/A | 2/6/2024[9] | Source |
| New York | 6/25/2024 | N/A | 4/4/2024 | Source |
| North Carolina | 3/5/2024 | 5/14/2024 | 12/15/2023 | Source |
| North Dakota | 6/11/2024 | N/A | 4/8/2024 | Source |
| Ohio | 3/19/2024 | N/A | 12/20/2023 | Source |
| Oklahoma | 6/18/2024 | 8/27/2024 | 4/5/2024 | Source |
| Oregon | 5/21/2024 | N/A | 3/12/2024 | Source |
| Pennsylvania | 4/23/2024 | N/A | 2/13/2024 | Source |
| Rhode Island | 9/10/2024 | N/A | 6/26/2024 | Source |
| South Carolina | 6/11/2024 | 6/25/2024 | 4/1/2024 | Source |
| South Dakota | 6/4/2024 | 7/30/2024 | 3/26/2024 | Source |
| Tennessee | 8/1/2024 | N/A | 4/4/2024 | Source |
| Texas | 3/5/2024 | 5/28/2024 | 12/11/2023 | Source |
| Utah | 6/25/2024 | N/A | 1/8/2024 | Source |
| Vermont | 8/13/2024 | N/A | 5/30/2024 | Source |
| Virginia[10] | 6/18/2024 | N/A | 4/4/2024 | Source |
| Washington | 8/6/2024 | N/A | 5/10/2024 | Source |
| West Virginia | 5/14/2024 | N/A | 1/27/2024 | Source |
| Wisconsin | 8/13/2024 | N/A | 6/3/2024 | Source |
| Wyoming | 8/20/2024 | N/A | 5/31/2024 | Source |
2022
The following table lists filing deadlines and primary dates for statewide elections in 2022. Please note that dates are subject to change.
| Primary dates and filing deadlines, 2022 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Primary date | Primary runoff date | Filing deadline for primary candidates | Source |
| Alabama | 5/24/2022 | 6/21/2022 | 1/28/2022 2/11/2022 (congressional) |
Source |
| Alaska | 8/16/2022 | N/A | 6/1/2022 | Source |
| Arizona | 8/2/2022 | N/A | 4/4/2022 | Source |
| Arkansas | 5/24/2022 | 6/21/2022 | 3/1/2022 | Source |
| California | 6/7/2022 | N/A | 3/11/2022 | Source |
| Colorado | 6/28/2022 | N/A | 3/15/2022 | Source |
| Connecticut | 8/9/2022 | N/A | 6/7/2022 | Source |
| Delaware | 9/13/2022 | N/A | 7/12/2022 | Source |
| Florida | 8/23/2022 | N/A | 6/17/2022 | Source |
| Georgia | 5/24/2022 | 6/21/2022 | 3/11/2022 | Source |
| Hawaii | 8/13/2022 | N/A | 6/7/2022 | Source |
| Idaho | 5/17/2022 | N/A | 3/11/2022 | Source |
| Illinois | 6/28/2022 | N/A | 3/14/2022 | Source |
| Indiana | 5/3/2022 | N/A | 2/4/2022 | Source |
| Iowa | 6/7/2022 | N/A | 3/18/2022 | Source |
| Kansas | 8/2/2022 | N/A | 6/1/2022 | Source |
| Kentucky | 5/17/2022 | N/A | 1/25/2022 | Source |
| Louisiana | 11/8/2022 | N/A | 7/22/2022[11] | Source |
| Maine | 6/14/2022 | N/A | 3/15/2022 | Source |
| Maryland | 7/19/2022 | N/A | 4/15/2022 | Source |
| Massachusetts | 9/6/2022 | N/A | 5/31/2022 6/7/2022 (Congress and statewide office) |
Source |
| Michigan | 8/2/2022 | N/A | 4/19/2022 | Source |
| Minnesota | 8/9/2022 | N/A | 5/31/2022 | Source |
| Mississippi | 6/7/2022 | 6/28/2022 | 3/1/2022 | Source |
| Missouri | 8/2/2022 | N/A | 3/29/2022 | Source |
| Montana | 6/7/2022 | N/A | 3/14/2022 | Source |
| Nebraska | 5/10/2022 | N/A | 2/15/2022 | Source |
| Nevada | 6/14/2022 | N/A | 3/18/2022 | Source |
| New Hampshire | 9/13/2022 | N/A | 6/10/2022 | Source |
| New Jersey | 6/7/2022 | N/A | 4/4/2022 | Source |
| New Mexico | 6/7/2022 | N/A | 3/24/2022 | Source |
| New York | 6/28/2022; 8/23/2022 (congressional and state senate only) | N/A | 4/7/2022; 6/10/2022 (congressional and state senate only) | Source |
| North Carolina | 5/17/2022 | 7/5/2022 (if no federal office is involved); 7/26/2022 (if a federal office is involved) | 3/4/2022 | Source |
| North Dakota | 6/14/2022 | N/A | 4/11/2022 | Source |
| Ohio | 5/3/2022 (Congress and statewide offices) 8/2/2022 (state legislative offices) |
N/A | 2/2/2022 (U.S. House candidates: 3/4/2022) | Source |
| Oklahoma | 6/28/2022 | 8/23/2022 | 4/15/2022 | Source |
| Oregon | 5/17/2022 | N/A | 3/8/2022 | Source |
| Pennsylvania | 5/17/2022 | N/A | 3/15/2022 (Congress and statewide offices only) 3/28/2022 (state legislative candidates) |
Source Source |
| Rhode Island | 9/13/2022 | N/A | 7/15/2022 | Source |
| South Carolina | 6/14/2022 | 6/28/2022 | 3/30/2022 | Source |
| South Dakota | 6/7/2022 | N/A | 3/29/2022 | Source |
| Tennessee | 8/4/2022 | N/A | 4/7/2022 | Source |
| Texas | 3/1/2022 | 5/24/2022 | 12/13/2021 | Source |
| Utah | 6/28/2022 | N/A | 3/4/2022 | Source |
| Vermont | 8/9/2022 | N/A | 5/26/2022 | Source |
| Virginia[12] | 6/21/2022 | N/A | 4/7/2022 | Source |
| Washington | 8/2/2022 | N/A | 5/20/2022 | Source |
| West Virginia | 5/10/2022 | N/A | 1/29/2022 | Source |
| Wisconsin | 8/9/2022 | N/A | 6/1/2022 | Source |
| Wyoming | 8/16/2022 | N/A | 5/27/2022 | |
The table below lists changes made to election dates and deadlines in the 2022 election cycle. Items are listed in reverse chronological order by date of change, with the most recent change appearing first.
| Record of date and deadline changes, 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| State | Date of change | Description of change | Source |
| Louisiana | 6/6/2022 | A federal district court, in striking down the state's congressional redistricting plan, postponed the deadline for candidates qualifying by petition in lieu of paying the filing fee from June 22, 2022, to July 8, 2022. The court's order did not affect the July 22, 2022, deadline for candidates qualifying by paying the filing fee. | Source |
| Ohio | 5/28/2022 | Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) called for the state legislative primary to be held on August 2, 2022 (the primary was originally scheduled for May 3, 2022). | Source |
| New York | 5/10/2022 | A federal district court judge affirmed the decision of a state-level judge to postpone the primaries for congressional and state senate offices to August 23, 2022 (the primary was originally scheduled for June 28, 2022). The state court then issued an order establishing new candidate filing deadlines. | Source; Source |
| Pennsylvania | 3/16/2022 | The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania fixed March 28, 2022, as the filing deadline for General Assembly candidates. | Source |
| Maryland | 3/15/2022 | The Maryland Court of Appeals postponed the primary election from June 28, 2022, to July 19, 2022. The court also extended the filing deadline from March 22, 2022, to April 15, 2022. | Source |
| Massachusetts | 2/14/2022 | Governor Charlie Baker (R) signed a bill into law that rescheduled the state's primary election from September 20, 2022, to September 6, 2022. | Source |
| Ohio | 5/28/2022 | Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R), in response to a federal court order, directed that the primary for state legislative offices be held on August 2, 2022. | Source |
| Utah | 2/14/2022 | Governor Spencer Cox (R) signed SB170 into law, moving the candidate filing deadline to March 4, 2022. The original filing deadline was set for March 11, 2022. | Source |
| Maryland | 2/11/2022 | The Maryland Court of Appeals extended the candidate filing deadline from February 22, 2022, to March 22, 2022. | Source |
| Pennsylvania | 2/9/2022 | The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania suspended the candidate filing period for the primary election, pending resolution of a redistricting dispute. The original filing deadline was set for March 8, 2022. The court later fixed March 15, 2022, as the filing deadline for statewide offices and the U.S. Congress. | Source |
| Alabama | 1/24/2022 | The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama postponed the filing deadline for primary congressional candidates from January 28, 2022, to February 11, 2022. | Source |
| Kentucky | 1/6/2022 | Governor Andy Beshear (D) signed HB172 into law, extending the filing deadline for partisan candidates from January 7, 2022, to January 25, 2022. | Source |
| North Carolina | 12/8/2021 | The Supreme Court of North Carolina ordered the postponement of the statewide primary, originally scheduled for March 8, 2022, to May 17, 2022. The court also suspended candidate filing, which subsequently resumed on February 24, 2022, and concluded on March 4, 2022. | Source |
| North Carolina | 2/9/2022 | The North Carolina State Board of Elections announced that candidate filing, having been suspended by the state supreme court in December 2021, would resume on February 24, 2022, and conclude on March 4, 2022. | Source |
2020
See below for partisan and unaffiliated candidate filing deadlines by state for 2020. States are listed in alphabetical order. Empty cells indicate situations where we have not yet been able to determine an exact date. We will update this information as soon as possible.
2018
See below for candidate filing deadlines by state for 2018. States are listed in alphabetical order.
|
Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois |
Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana |
Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania |
Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming |
State-specific filing deadlines
To learn more about filing deadlines in specific states, select a state from the list below.
See also
- Signature requirements and deadlines for 2024 U.S. Congress elections
- Signature requirements and deadlines for 2022 U.S. Congress elections
- Signature requirements and deadlines for 2020 U.S. Congress elections
- Signature requirements and deadlines for 2018 U.S. Congress elections
- Signature requirements and deadlines for 2016 U.S. Congress elections
- Signature requirements and deadlines for 2014 U.S. Congress elections
- Signatures needed for independent candidates to qualify for United States House of Representatives elections, 2014
- Signature requirements and deadlines for 2012 U.S. Congress elections
- Signature requirements and deadlines for 2012 state government elections
Footnotes
- ↑ National Archives, "The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription," accessed December 7, 2012
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "The FEC and Federal Campaign Finance Law," updated January 2015
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Quick Answers to Candidate Questions," accessed August 13, 2015
- ↑ This deadline was for the following offices: U.S. Congress, state attorney, public defender, state supreme court, district appeals court, circuit court. The filing deadline for state senator, state representative, county office, and special districts was 6/14/2024.
- ↑ This deadline was for U.S. Congress and state offices. The filing deadline for county offices was 3/22/2024.
- ↑ This filing deadline is for non-incumbents. Incumbents must file by 2/15/2024.
- ↑ This filing deadline is for non-judicial candidates. The filing deadline for judicial candidates was 1/12/2024.
- ↑ This deadline was for candidates seeking pre-primary designation. The filing deadline for all other candidates was 3/12/2024.
- ↑ In Virginia, the Democratic and Republican parties form committees to decide on the method of nomination used for congressional races. These non-primary methods of nomination may take place on a date other than the statewide primary.
- ↑ A federal district court, in striking down the state's congressional redistricting plan, postponed the deadline for candidates qualifying by petition in lieu of paying the filing fee from June 22, 2022, to July 8, 2022. The court's order did not affect the July 22, 2022, deadline for candidates qualifying by paying the filing fee.
- ↑ In Virginia, the Democratic and Republican parties form committees to decide on the method of nomination used for congressional races. These non-primary methods of nomination may take place on a date other than the statewide primary.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
