The short version
In Connecticut, major parties usually nominate at conventions or caucuses; a candidate who didn't win the party's endorsement can force a primary by filing a primary petition. Candidates outside the major parties reach the general-election ballot with a nominating petition.
- Offices you can run for
- Federal (U.S. House and Senate); statewide offices (Governor and other state officials); the State Senate and House; municipal offices; and probate judges.
- How to get on the ballot
- To force a major-party primary, file a primary petition with the required signatures from enrolled party members and submit it to the Registrar of Voters by the deadline. To reach the general-election ballot outside a major party, file a nominating petition. The Secretary of the State's office issues the petition forms and the signature requirement for each office.
- Who runs candidate filing
- Connecticut Secretary of the 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 Connecticut resources below are the final word. When in doubt, the elections authority is right and we're wrong.
Find your Connecticut county
Every county runs its own filing office and its own local races. See all 9 Connecticut planning regions, each with its election office, fees, deadlines and local facts.
The 2027 ballot in Connecticut.
These 2027 dates are confirmed against the state's own published calendar or statute. Anything our research could not confirm is left off this page rather than estimated.
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November 2, 2027
Municipal General — Municipal.
Municipal election in 168 of Connecticut's 169 towns (one small town votes in May instead): mayors, first selectmen and selectmen, town councils, boards of aldermen, boards of education, town clerks, treasurers, tax collectors, boards of finance and planning and zoning commissions, among other town offices.
Candidate filing: opens Jul 21, 2027, closes Aug 4, 2027.
Source
2027 dates can move, and a municipality can change its own election date by ordinance. Which seats are on a given ballot depends on when each was last filled. Confirm anything you are relying on with the county election office before you act on it.
Official Connecticut candidate resources
Start here for the exact deadlines, fees, forms, and signature counts for your office and cycle. Note: 2026 filing has closed in most states, so these resources govern the standing rules; check the official calendar for your next filing window.
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. Connecticut is fully available; see how to get your voter file.
Talk to us about your Connecticut 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.