Step 2 of 6
Check eligibility and requirements
Age, residency and registration rules, filing fees and petitions, campaign committees, disclosure forms, and the extra rules for public employees.
- Candidate eligibility requirements for local officeBefore you pick a slogan or order a single sign, make sure you can legally hold the seat. Here is what usually decides that, and how to check for your own race.
- How to file for local officeFiling is the moment you become an official candidate. It is mostly paperwork, but the deadlines are strict, so it pays to know the steps before the window opens.
- Filing fees and petition signaturesMost ballots ask for one of two things before your name gets printed: money or voter signatures. Here is how each works and how to plan for them.
- Forming a campaign committeeYour campaign needs its own name, its own money trail and someone responsible for the books. Here is how small local campaigns usually set that up, in the right order.
- Ethics and financial disclosure formsRunning for office means telling the public a little about your finances and a lot about your campaign's. Here is what the forms usually cover and how to stay on schedule.
- Public employees and the Hatch ActIf you work for the government, there may be limits on running for office. For most local races the answer is good news, but check before you file.