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Signature requirements and deadlines for 2025 state government elections
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Candidates for elective office must often file petition signatures or pay filing fees in order to appear on the ballot. Candidates must submit these petitions, fees, and any other required paperwork by fixed deadlines. These requirements and deadlines, which are referred to collectively as ballot access requirements, vary by state and office.
This article outlines ballot access requirements for 2025 state government elections.
Ballot access requirements for gubernatorial candidates, 2025
Two states, New Jersey and Virginia, are holding gubernatorial elections in 2025. The incumbents in both states—Phil Murphy (D) in New Jersey and Glenn Youngkin (R) in Virginia—are term-limited. The following table lists signature requirements, filing fees, filing deadlines, and qualifications for gubernatorial candidates in 2025.
| Ballot access requirements for gubernatorial primary candidates, 2025 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source | Qualifications |
| New Jersey | Governor | 2,500 | N/A | March 24, 2025 | Source | At least 30 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least 20 years, and a New Jersey resident for at least seven years. |
| Virginia | Governor | 10,000[1] | $3,500 | April 3, 2025 | Source | A U.S. citizen, at least 30 years old, a Virginia resident and registered voter for at least five years. |
Ballot access requirements for state legislative candidates, 2025
Two states, New Jersey and Virginia, are holding state legislative elections in 2025. The following table lists signature requirements, filing fees, filing deadlines, and qualifications for state legislative candidates in 2025.
| Ballot access requirements for state legislative primary candidates, 2025 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source | Qualifications |
| New Jersey | House | 250 | N/A | March 24, 2025 | Source | At least 21 years old, a U.S. citizen, a resident of New Jersey for at least two years, a resident of the legislative district for at least one year, and a legal voter. |
| Virginia | House | 125 | $352.80 | April 3, 2025 | Source | At least 21 years old, a resident of Virginia for at least one year, a resident of the legislative district, and qualified to vote for and hold the office. |
History
The section below includes historical ballot access information from the 2021 election cycle.
Signature requirements, filing fees, and filing deadlines, 2021
The table below outlines petition requirements, filing fees, and filing deadlines for gubernatorial and state legislative elections in 2021.
| Filing requirements for gubernatorial candidates, 2021 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| New Jersey | Governor | Democratic | 1,000 | Fixed number | N/A | N/A | 4/5/2021 | Source |
| New Jersey | Governor | Republican | 1,000 | Fixed number | N/A | N/A | 4/5/2021 | Source |
| Virginia | Governor | Democratic | 2,000 signatures, including at least 50 valid signatures from each congressional district | Fixed number | $3,500.00 | 2% of annual salary | 3/25/2021 | Source |
| Virginia | Governor | Republican | 2,000 signatures, including at least 50 valid signatures from each congressional district | Fixed number | $3,500.00 | 2% of annual salary | 3/25/2021 | Source |
| Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2021 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber name | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| New Jersey General Assembly | Democratic | 100 | N/A | 4/5/2021 | Source |
| New Jersey General Assembly | Republican | 100 | N/A | 4/5/2021 | Source |
| New Jersey State Senate | Democratic | 100 | N/A | 4/5/2021 | Source |
| New Jersey State Senate | Republican | 100 | N/A | 4/5/2021 | Source |
| Virginia House of Delegates | Democratic | 125 | $352.80 | 3/25/2021 | Source |
| Virginia House of Delegates | Republican | 125 | $352.80 | 3/25/2021 | Source |
Local elected officials
Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool. |
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Footnotes
- ↑ Must include signatures of at least 400 qualified voters from each congressional district.
