How to Run for Office in Pennsylvania
A candidate filing guide from Campaign Partner, websites for candidates since 2011.
Your Campaign Website
When you file, your name becomes public and voters, reporters and donors will search for it. Have your website ready first - Campaign Partner sites are ready at signup, from $29/month, free domain name included.
Getting on the Ballot
Pennsylvania's major-party candidates get on the primary ballot by nomination petition, circulated during a fixed three-week window (roughly mid-February to early March in most years). Statewide and legislative candidates file petitions with the Department of State; county, municipal, school, and judicial candidates file with their county board of elections. Independent and minor-party candidates use nomination papers instead, filed later with substantially higher signature requirements.
Every candidate for state or local office must also file a Statement of Financial Interests under the Ethics Act - with the governing body of the jurisdiction (school district secretary for school board, municipal secretary for municipal office) and a copy attached to the nomination petition. A missing statement is a fatal, unfixable defect that gets candidates removed from the ballot every cycle.
Pennsylvania elects municipal and school officials in odd-numbered years, so most local campaigns run on the off-cycle calendar.
Where Local Candidates File
Your county board of elections (often in the county election office or voter services department) supplies petition forms, accepts filings, and receives campaign finance reports for county and local candidates. State-level candidates file campaign finance reports with the Department of State. Philadelphia candidates have an additional electronic filing requirement with the Philadelphia Board of Ethics.
Running for a local office? See what a school board, city council, mayor or county commissioner campaign website needs.
Worth Knowing
- Cross-filing: candidates for school director, magisterial district judge, and common pleas judge may file petitions for both major parties and can win both nominations in the primary - unique to Pennsylvania and a standard strategy in school board races.
- Pennsylvania has a vigorous petition challenge culture: objections are filed in court on tight deadlines, and technical defects (circulator affidavits, dates, the missing Statement of Financial Interests) routinely knock candidates off. Collect signatures well beyond the minimum and have someone experienced review your petitions before filing.
Official Pennsylvania Resources
Filing deadlines, fees, and signature requirements change from cycle to cycle. Always confirm current details with the official sources below.
This page was last reviewed on August 4, 2026. Process details above are believed current as of that date; deadlines and fees should always be verified with your election office.