The short version
In the District of Columbia you get on the ballot with a nominating petition carrying the required number of valid signatures. Party candidates run in the June primary, and the signature requirement varies by office.
- Offices you can run for
- D.C. Delegate to the U.S. House; Mayor; D.C. Council (Chairman, at-large, and ward members); Attorney General; State Board of Education; and Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners.
- How to get on the ballot
- Pick up your nominating-petition packet from the Board of Elections, circulate the petitions, and file them with the required number of valid signatures by the deadline; the Board issues a receipt on filing. You're responsible for making sure every circulator follows the petition rules. Signature counts vary by office and are set out in the Board's candidate materials.
- Who runs candidate filing
- District of Columbia Board of Elections (DCBOE)
This is a plain-language overview, not legal advice. Filing deadlines and fees change every election cycle and vary by office — the official District of Columbia resources below are the final word. When in doubt, the elections authority is right and we're wrong.
Official District of Columbia candidate resources
Start here for the exact deadlines, fees, forms, and signature counts for your office and cycle.
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. District of Columbia is fully available — see how to get your voter file.
Talk to us about your District of Columbia 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.