Motion51
State Coverage  ›  Missouri  ›  Run for office

How to run for office in Missouri.

The short, plain-English version: what you can run for, how to get on the ballot, and the official Missouri 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.

Start free

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.

Find your Missouri county

Every county runs its own filing office and its own local races. See all 115 Missouri counties, each with its election office, fees, deadlines and local facts.

The 2027 ballot in Missouri.

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.

  • April 6, 2027 Municipal General — Local. General municipal election: city mayors and councils or aldermen, school boards, and fire, ambulance, library, water and other district boards.
    Candidate filing: opens Dec 15, 2026, closes Jan 5, 2027.
    Source 1 · Source 2

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 Missouri 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. Missouri is fully available; see how to get your voter file.

Get your Missouri voter file →

Talk to us about your Missouri 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.

← Back to Missouri