Candidate guide - common questions

1) When are candidate nomination papers available?

• Nomination papers are available beginning July 15th thru August 9th, or thru August 14th if an incumbent does not file for a specific contest.

2) Are candidate nomination papers available on-line?

• No, but you can complete and submit the Candidate Application Form. We will prepare and email your nomination papers along with instructions and due dates.

3) Do I need to collect signatures or pay a filing fee for my candidacy?

• It depends on the jurisdiction of the office you are seeking. The Offices Open & Qualifications panel of this Guide provides the information for you.

4) What is a candidate’s statement?

• It is an optional way to let the voters in your district know about you. You can write a 200-word statement (or 250 for U.S Rep, State Assembly, State Senate candidates) that is published in our voter information guide. The Candidate Statement Rules, Formatting, and Fees section of the Applying to be a Candidate panel, below, of the this guide has information about the cost and format of the candidate statements.

5) Can I get documents for a municipal candidate election from the county office?

• No, you must contact the City/Town Clerk for nomination documents, manuals, and filing information. 
  This manual may be used by council candidates as a general reference guide only.

6) I want to pass around a small amount of flyers for my candidacy. Are there rules about this?

• Yes! Flyers, yard signs, or internet ads, make sure you are aware of all campaign finance rules. These rules and all other campaign finance information are in the FPPC finance manuals on the FPPC website.

7) Can I get voter information for my campaign?

• Candidates and their committees may purchase voter information. Call or go to our Purchasing Voter Registration Information page on our website for details. You must complete the application and provide a check or cash prior to receiving the data.

8) Are there special campaign finance rules for state and judicial candidates?

• Yes! This information can be found in FPPC Manual 1 and is published on the FPPC website.

9) How do I know who has filed for office?

• The Current Election page will have a Status of Candidates who have Taken Out Papers for Office link that will be updated daily with the names of candidates who have filed for a specific office.