The short version
Missouri nominates through party primaries in August. Major-party candidates file a declaration of candidacy and pay a filing fee; independent and new-party candidates qualify by petition for the general election. Candidates for state office file in person with the Secretary of State.
- Offices you can run for
- Federal (U.S. House and Senate); statewide offices (Governor and other state officials); the Missouri Senate and House; county and municipal offices; and judicial seats.
- How to get on the ballot
- File a declaration of candidacy with the proper filing officer during the filing period and pay the filing fee for the office (state-office candidates file in person with the Secretary of State). Independent and new-party candidates instead file a nominating petition with the required signatures. The Secretary of State publishes a Candidate Filing Information packet each cycle.
- Who runs candidate filing
- Missouri Secretary of State — Elections Division(573) 751-2301
This is a plain-language overview, not legal advice. Filing deadlines and fees change every election cycle and vary by office — the official Missouri resources below are the final word. When in doubt, the elections authority is right and we're wrong.
Official Missouri candidate resources
Start here for the exact deadlines, fees, forms, and signature counts for your office and cycle.
- Candidates (Elections) →
- 2026 Candidate Filing Information (PDF) →
- Offices Filed in Candidate Filing →
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. Missouri is fully available — see how to get your voter file.
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