The short version
Alabama nominates partisan candidates through party primaries: major-party candidates qualify with their party, while independent and minor-party candidates reach the November ballot by petition. There is no qualifying fee for an independent ballot-access petition.
- Offices you can run for
- Federal (U.S. House and Senate); statewide offices (Governor and other constitutional officers, State Board of Education); the Alabama Senate and House; county offices; and judicial seats.
- How to get on the ballot
- Major-party candidates qualify with their party and pay the party's qualifying fee. Independent and minor-party candidates file a ballot-access petition with the required signatures — for a statewide office in 2026 that is 42,458 registered-voter signatures, with smaller counts for district and county offices (check with the Elections Division or your county Judge of Probate). State and federal petitions are filed with the Secretary of State.
- Who runs candidate filing
- Alabama Secretary of State — Elections Division
This is a plain-language overview, not legal advice. Filing deadlines and fees change every election cycle and vary by office — the official Alabama resources below are the final word. When in doubt, the elections authority is right and we're wrong.
Official Alabama candidate resources
Start here for the exact deadlines, fees, forms, and signature counts for your office and cycle.
- Candidate Resources →
- 2026 Candidate Filing Guide (PDF) →
- 2026 Independent Candidate Ballot Access (PDF) →
Once you're on the ballot, Motion51 runs your field game.
Get your district's voter file loaded, cut into walkable turf, and onto an app your volunteers use at the door. Alabama is fully available — see how to get your voter file.
Talk to us about your Alabama race
Tell us what you're running for and we'll help you go from "qualified" to "knocking doors" — voter file loaded, turf cut, volunteers set up.