Running for Legislative Office

State Senator
State Representative

Online Candidate Filing

Through the Candidate Portal, legislative candidates can accomplish many of their filing needs in one website.

You begin your campaign by gathering signatures.  The portal allows you to electronically gather signatures through our E-Qual system, or you can generate a tailor-made nomination petition to be printed and circulated the old-fashioned way.  And when the filing deadline approaches, a candidate can generate and file a nomination paper and financial disclosure statement exclusively through the portal.

If seeking public funding, a legislative candidate may collect $5 qualifying contributions through the portal and file nearly all the documents necessary to receive public funding.

Legislative candidates may also use the portal to promote their campaign by creating a public profile.  Once you upload contact information, a photo, social media and website links, and a brief biography, we will promote you as a candidate on our website and be ready to display your name and photo in 2018 election night results.

Sign up today at go.azsos.gov/candidateportal.

Candidate Committee

When running for legislative office, you should first determine whether or not you are required to register a candidate committee.  Candidates for legislative office must register a candidate committee with the Secretary of State if the candidate receives contributions or makes expenditures, in any combination, of at least $1,100 in connection with that candidacy.  Committees are created by filing a statement of organization using the Secretary of State’s online Campaign Finance System. The statement of organization must be filed within 10 days after meeting the monetary threshold.

Appearance on the Ballot

To run for legislative office, you will need to turn in your nomination petitions in addition to submitting the correct legislative nomination paper and a financial disclosure statement via the Candidate Portal.

The first day to file these forms with the Secretary of State’s Office is April 30, 2018 and the deadline is May 30, 2018 at 5:00 p.m.

Partisan Legislative Candidates

2018 Partisan Signature Requirements

Updated March 20, 2018

• How are these numbers calculated?

• The minimum number of signatures required is found by calculating 1/2 of 1% of the total qualified signers in the district as of March 1, 2018. The maximum number of signatures required is found by calculating 3% of the total qualified signers in the district as of March 1, 2018. (A.R.S. § 16-322).

  The Green Party is considered a new party in the state of Arizona through the 2018 election cycle. The minimum number of signatures required from a new party is calculated by totaling 1/10 of 1% of the total votes cast for the winning candidate for governor or president at the last general election within the district. (A.R.S. § 16-322).

Independent Legislative Candidates

2018 Independent Signature Requirements

• How are these numbers calculated?

• The minimum number of signatures required is found by calculating 3% of the total registered voters for that district who are not members of a political party that is qualified for representation as of March 1, 2018. (A.R.S. § 16-341).

Write-In Candidates

To run as a write-in candidate, you do not need to file nomination petitions. However, you will still need to submit the correct legislative write-in nomination paper and a financial disclosure statement via the Candidate Portal.

For write-in candidates who want to run in the Primary Election, the first day to file these forms with the Secretary of State’s Office is May 31, 2018 and the deadline is July 19, 2018 at 5:00 p.m.

For write-in candidates who choose to forgo participating in the Primary Election and want to be an official write-in candidate at the General Election only, your first day to file these forms with the Secretary of State’s Office is July 20, 2018 and the deadline is September 27, 2018 at 5:00 p.m.