Signatures needed for independent candidates to qualify for U.S. House of Representatives elections, 2014
This article contains information about petition signatures required for independent candidates seeking election to the United States House of Representatives to gain ballot access in the 2014 general election cycle.
Note: The information is this article was gathered by Richard Winger of Ballot Access News and then re-printed with his permission.
Summary
Three states did not require independent candidates to file a petition to gain ballot access — only a filing fee was required. Those states are listed below:[1]
- Florida (Filing fees were 3percent, election assessments were 1 percent, and party assessments, if applicable, were 2 percent of the annual salary of the office sought)
- Louisiana (Fees varied by office; for details, please see this article)
- Oklahoma (Fees varied by office; for details, please see this article)
In seven states, independent candidates needed at least 10,000 valid signatures or votes in a primary election. Those states are listed below:[1]
- South Carolina (10,000 signatures)
- Montana (12,774 signatures)
- Illinois (14,050 signatures)
- Georgia (17,620 signatures)
- North Carolina (19,969 signatures)
- California (23,542 votes in the primary)
- Washington (35,201 votes in the primary)
Full data
The percentages in the table below represent the number of signatures needed in the average district in that state divided by the number of voters in the average district who voted in the presidential election in November 2012. For California, Hawaii, and Washington, the number of primary votes candidates received, rather than petition signatures, determined whether they would move on to the general election.[1]
| Independent candidate requirements in 2014 U.S. House elections[1] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Number of signatures (unless otherwise specified) |
Percentage | Formula for requirement | ||
| Florida | 0 | 0 | no petition; pay filing fee | ||
| Louisiana | 0 | 0 | no petition; pay filing fee | ||
| Oklahoma | 0 | 0 | no petition; pay filing fee | ||
| Tennessee | 25 | 0.01 | number stated in law | ||
| New Jersey | 100 | 0.03 | number stated in law | ||
| Mississippi | 200 | 0.06 | number stated in law | ||
| Utah | 300 | 0.12 | number stated in law | ||
| Iowa | 375 | 0.08 | number stated in law | ||
| Kentucky | 400 | 0.13 | number stated in law | ||
| Idaho | 500 | 0.15 | number stated in law | ||
| Vermont | 500 | 0.17 | number stated in law | ||
| Rhode Island | 500 | 0.22 | number stated in law | ||
| Texas | 500 | 0.23 | number stated in law | ||
| Colorado | 800 | 0.22 | number stated in law | ||
| Wisconsin | 1,000 | 0.26 | number stated in law | ||
| Minnesota | 1,000 | 0.27 | number stated in law | ||
| Virginia | 1,000 | 0.29 | number stated in law | ||
| North Dakota | 1,000 | 0.31 | number stated in law | ||
| New Hampshire | 1,500 | 0.42 | number stated in law | ||
| Maine | 2,000 | 0.56 | number stated in law | ||
| Massachusetts | 2,000 | 0.57 | number stated in law | ||
| Arkansas | 2,000 | 0.75 | number stated in law | ||
| Nebraska | 2,000 | 0.76 | number stated in law | ||
| West Virginia | 2,138 | 0.96 | 1% of 2012 vote cast for that office | ||
| Ohio | 2,408 | 0.69 | 1% of 2010 gubernatorial vote within that district | ||
| Nevada | 2,435 | 0.96 | 1% of 2012 vote cast for that office | ||
| Connecticut | 2,933 | 0.94 | 1% of 2012 vote cast for that office | ||
| Michigan | 3,000 | 0.89 | number stated in law | ||
| Alaska | 3,017 | 1 | 1% of number of voters who voted in 2012 | ||
| South Dakota | 3,171 | 0.87 | 1% of 2012 gubernatorial vote | ||
| Hawaii | 3,193 primary votes | 1.47 | Lesser of the weakest party winner in the primary or 10% of total vote | ||
| New York | 3,500 | 1.33 | Number stated in law | ||
| Oregon | 3,579 | 1 | 1% of 2012 presidential vote within district | ||
| Arizona | 3,663 | 1.43 | 3% of number of registered independents in 2014 | ||
| Indiana | 3,799 | 1.3 | 2% of 2010 Secretary of State vote within that district | ||
| Pennsylvania | 3,928 | 1.22 | 2% of 2012 winner’s vote for U.S. House | ||
| Maryland | 4,628 | 1.37 | 1% of number of registered voters in 2014 | ||
| Wyoming | 4,833 | 1.94 | 2% of 2012 vote for U.S. House | ||
| Kansas | 5,000 | 1.72 | Lesser of 4% of registered voters or 5,000 | ||
| New Mexico | 6,018 | 2.3 | 3% of 2012 gubernatorial vote within that district | ||
| Delaware | 6,364 | 1.54 | 1% of number of registered voters in 2014 | ||
| Alabama | 6,404 | 2.16 | 3% of 2010 gubernatorial vote within that district | ||
| Missouri | 6,820 | 1.98 | 2% of 2012 gubernatorial vote within that district | ||
| South Carolina | 10,000 | 3.56 | Lesser of 5% of registered voters or 10,000 | ||
| Montana | 12,774 | 2.64 | 5% of 2012 vote for winner for that office | ||
| Illinois | 14,050 | 4.82 | 5% of 2012 vote for that office | ||
| Georgia | 17,620 | 6.33 | 5% of number of registered voters in that district in 2012 | ||
| North Carolina | 19,969 | 5.76 | 4% of number of registered voters in that district in 2014 | ||
| California | 23,542 primary votes | 9.57 | Must place first or second in June primary | ||
| Washington | 35,201 primary votes | 11.26 | Must place first or second in August primary | ||
| Note: Both California and Washington utilize a top-two primary system in which the top two vote-getters, regardless of political party affiliation, move on to the general election. In this table, the estimated numbers of votes required for candidates to place second in the top-two primary in the average district are presented for these states.[1] | |||||
Footnotes
