Becoming a Candidate

Candidates for office must meet certain qualifications and are required to file specific documents to qualify to appear on the ballot. These qualifications and requirements may vary slightly depending on whether the office sought is a local office, a general assembly seat, a statewide office, or a federal office. Generally, all candidates must meet the following minimum qualifications:

• Qualified to vote and hold the office sought.
• A resident of the Commonwealth for one year immediately preceding the election.
• A resident, by the time of filing, of the county in which he offers for election.
• A resident of the election district to be represented (if he/she is seeking a district seat).

Documents Required to be Filed

A candidate must file certain documents to qualify to appear on the ballot. Each form is described below. An explanation of who is required to file each item is also provided. Each document can be downloaded from the Department of Elections website.

Statement of Organization for a Candidate

This form can be found on the Department of Elections website.  All candidates running for office need to file this form with the General Registrar. Any individual serving as campaign treasurer must be a qualified voter of the Commonwealth. A candidate may serve as his/her own treasurer.

Virginia law requires each candidate to provide the name and address of his campaign treasurer, the name of the financial institution in which he establishes his campaign account and, if one, the name of his campaign committee.

This document is required to be filed no later than 10 days after you file your Declaration of Candidacy as soon as you receive or expend monies relating to your candidacy. For further details, see Starting A Campaign Committee in the Summary of the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act published by the Department of Elections.

Certificate of Candidate Qualification

This form can be found on the Department of Elections website. All candidates running for office need to file this form with the General Registrar. 

Declaration of Candidacy

This form can be found on the Department of Elections website. It must be filed by primary election candidates and independent (non-party) candidates with the General Registrar. If petitions are also required for the office sought, the Declaration must be filed with the petitions.

Candidates for political party nomination by a method other than a primary, file this declaration and the petitions described below only if so required by the rules of the political party. Contact us at 540-775-9186 to determine if they are required.

This document is prepared and distributed by the Department of Elections. Petitions containing at least the number of signatures required for the office sought must be filed together with the Declaration of Candidacy.

• Petition Circulator - Petitions may be circulated by either the candidate or another person as directed in VA Code § 24.2-506. The person circulating the petition must affirm before a notary or other person authorized to administer oaths that he/she personally witnessed the affixing of the signatures. Falsely taking this affidavit is a felony under Virginia Law. The circulator can NEVER leave the petition unattended, e.g., left on the counter at a grocery store, restaurant, etc.
• Number of Signatures Required - For local offices only, petitions must contain the signatures of 125 qualified voters of the district.
  • Call your General Registrar to confirm which signature requirement applies to you.

The Virginia Department of Elections recommends that a candidate get at least double the number of signatures required to assure that enough are qualified voters.

Statement of Economic Interests

This document can be found on the Department of Elections website. This document will be filed with the General Registrar. It is required to be filed by all candidates for any constitutional office. It is also required to be filed by candidates for the board of supervisors and school board in counties having a population of 3,500.

Primary Filing Fee (if applicable)

As the name suggests, this fee is required to be filed only by primary election candidates. This filing fee is only applicable to State offices and not local offices right now. The amount required to be paid is 2% of the annual salary in effect in the year in which the candidate files for the office sought. Contact the Virginia Department of Elections to determine the fee owed. To pay, contact the Treasurer of your county or city.

For required forms, where to file & filing deadline, please contact the Virginia Department of Elections.

Notice of Deficiencies in Declaration or Petitions

An independent (non-party) candidate may request notification of any problems with his filing that can be corrected before the filing deadline. This request must be in writing, as required by § 24.2-505 of the Code of Virginia.

This letter must be addressed to the Secretary of the Electoral Board of the candidate's county or city of residence. It must accompany the declaration of candidacy and, if required, the petitions filed with the General Registrar.

The written request does not guarantee a timely response. Certain factors may affect the electoral board's ability to comply with the request, that is, the number of filings, etc. It is suggested that documents be filed at least ten (10) working days before the filing deadline if this notice is requested.

Other Required Reports

All candidates must file pre-election and post-election Reports of Campaign Contributions and Expenditures on vendors that are approved by the Department of Elections. The reports are due even if no contributions are received nor is expenditures made. In this case, only a Report of No Activity must be filed. Forms are available from the Virginia Department of Elections.

Contact your general registrar for dates when reports are due.

No certificate of election can be issued to any successful candidate who fails to file the required reports.

Exceptions
A candidate for local office who files an exemption form certifying that he has not and will not solicit or accept any contribution from any other person during his/her Campaign and has not and will not contribute or expend more then $1,000 during this campaign, is required to file reports of large pre-election contributions and a final report. A form for this purpose is prepared and distributed by the Virginia Department of Elections.