How to Run for Office in Wisconsin
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
Wisconsin ballot access takes three documents, all due by the same deadline: a Campaign Registration Statement (CF-1) - which must be filed before raising or spending any money - a Declaration of Candidacy (EL-162), and nomination papers with a minimum and maximum signature count for the office. Miss any of the three and your name doesn't go on the ballot.
Wisconsin runs two election tracks. Spring elections (April) are nonpartisan - judges, school boards, municipal and county offices - with nomination papers circulated starting December 1 and due the first Tuesday of January, meaning local candidates gather signatures over the holidays. Fall partisan elections have a June 1 filing deadline for the August primary.
Filing officers follow the office: the Elections Commission for state and judicial offices, the county clerk for county offices, the municipal clerk for city, village, and town offices, and the school district clerk for school board.
Where Local Candidates File
Your municipal clerk (or school district clerk for school board) is the filing officer and the person to ask for the ballot access checklist - the Elections Commission publishes office-specific checklists that make the three-document requirement foolproof. Note that some towns nominate by caucus instead of nomination papers. Campaign finance registration and reports go through the Ethics Commission's CFIS electronic system (state and many local committees) or the local filing officer, and state candidates also owe the Ethics Commission a Statement of Economic Interests shortly after the filing deadline.
Running for a local office? See what a school board, city council, mayor or county commissioner campaign website needs.
Worth Knowing
- Register (CF-1) before the first dollar - Wisconsin's register-before-you-raise rule is enforced, and the registration is also a ballot-access requirement, not just a finance formality.
- Nomination papers have a maximum as well as a minimum - you cannot simply bury errors in volume, so accuracy per sheet matters. Signatures may only be collected during the defined circulation window.
- The January deadline for April elections is the calendar trap: school board and municipal campaigns effectively begin at Thanksgiving.
Official Wisconsin 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.