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State Coverage  ›  Massachusetts  ›  Run for office

How to run for office in Massachusetts.

The short, plain-English version: what you can run for, how to get on the ballot, and the official Massachusetts resources that are the final word. Then, when you're qualified, Motion51 gets your voters on a map and your volunteers knocking.

Running this cycle, or getting ready for the next one? The first step comes before any filing deadline: know your voters. Motion51 puts your voter file on a map, free, so you can start finding your supporters now.

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The short version

Massachusetts holds partisan primaries and puts candidates on the ballot through nomination papers: you collect voter signatures, have your local registrars certify them, then file the certified papers with the Secretary of the Commonwealth. The number of signatures depends on the office.

Offices you can run for
Federal (U.S. House and Senate); statewide constitutional offices (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary, Treasurer, Auditor); the State Senate and House; and county and municipal offices. (Massachusetts judges are appointed, not elected.)
How to get on the ballot
Obtain nomination papers, gather the required registered-voter signatures, and submit them to your local registrars for certification — then file the certified papers with the Elections Division by the deadline. Signature counts and deadlines vary by office, with statewide offices requiring the most.
Who runs candidate filing
Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth — 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 Massachusetts resources below are the final word. When in doubt, the elections authority is right and we're wrong.

Find your Massachusetts county

Every county runs its own filing office and its own local races. See all 14 Massachusetts counties, each with its election office, fees, deadlines and local facts.

The 2027 ballot in Massachusetts.

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.

  • November 2, 2027 Municipal General — City. City elections in Massachusetts cities: city council or board of aldermen, school committee, and mayor in cities with two-year mayoral terms. Each city sets its own filing deadline.
    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 Massachusetts 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. Massachusetts is fully available; see how to get your voter file.

Get your Massachusetts voter file →

Talk to us about your Massachusetts 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.

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