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.
Official Massachusetts candidate resources
Start here for the exact deadlines, fees, forms, and signature counts for your office and cycle.
- How to Run for Office (2026) →
- Candidate's Guide to Running for Office 2026 (PDF) →
- How to Run for Office (overview 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. Massachusetts is fully available — see how to get your 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.