The short version.
Nevada holds partisan primaries. To run, you file a declaration of candidacy during the state's spring filing window and pay a filing fee set by office. (Independents and minor-party candidates qualify by petition instead.)
This page covers how that works for Carson City. It is not legal advice — for the official rules, your county clerk or registrar of voters and the Nevada Secretary of State are the sources of truth.
Carson City by the numbers.
- In 2024, Carson City cast 31,068 votes for president: 43.1% Democratic, 54.3% Republican.
- In 2020, Carson City cast 29,739 votes for president: 42.8% Democratic, 54.2% Republican.
More about the electorate here: Carson City voter data.
How to get on the ballot in Nevada.
Nevada uses partisan primaries: you run for your party's nomination in the June primary, and the winner advances to November. To get on the primary ballot you file a declaration of candidacy and pay a filing fee.
File your declaration of candidacy & pay the fee.
During the state's filing window you file a Declaration of Candidacy and pay a filing fee set by office (Nevada Rev. Stat. §293.193):
- U.S. Senate $500 · U.S. House / Governor / Supreme Court $300 · other statewide offices $200.
- District judge $150 · county office, State Senate, Assembly $100 · township offices $30.
- Offices with no salary have no fee. Pay by cash, cashier's check, or certified check — no personal checks or credit cards.
Running as an independent?
Independent and minor-party candidates skip the primary and qualify by petition instead (Nevada Rev. Stat. §293.200), appearing directly on the November ballot.
You file with your county clerk (or the registrar of voters in Clark and Washoe counties) for county and district offices, or with the Nevada Secretary of State for statewide and federal offices.
Key Nevada dates (2026 reference).
- March 2–13, 2026Candidate filing period (a 10-day window) — file your declaration of candidacy and pay the fee.
- Tue Jun 9, 2026Nevada partisan primary election.
- Tue Nov 3, 2026Nevada general election.
These are the 2026 dates, shown for reference — the 2026 filing period has already closed. For the next cycle's exact dates see the Nevada Secretary of State candidate page.
Offices on the ballot.
Up in 2026 (primary June 9, general November 3):
- Governor & Lieutenant Governor (Gov. Lombardo on the ballot)
- Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, and Controller
- U.S. House — all 4 Nevada seats
- Nevada Senate (about half of its 21 seats) and Assembly (all 42 seats)
- State Board of Regents, judicial seats, and county & local offices (vary by county)
No U.S. Senate seat is on Nevada's 2026 ballot. For the official list of Carson City offices up this cycle, check your county clerk or registrar.
Your county election office.
In Nevada you file for county and local offices with the county clerk — or the registrar of voters in Clark and Washoe counties. This office is the source of truth for Carson City-specific dates, district maps, and forms.
- Office
- 885 East Musser Street, Suite 1025, Carson City, NV 89701
- Phone
- (775) 887-2087
- Website
- https://www.carsoncity.gov/elections
Contact details verified 2026-06-18. If a field is wrong or out of date, your county clerk/registrar and the Nevada Secretary of State are the canonical sources.
After you file: building a field operation.
Filing is the paperwork. What starts then is the actual campaign — knocking on doors, recruiting volunteers, and identifying the voters who'll show up for you in June and November.
That's what Motion51 is built for. You scope your district, recruit volunteers, cut turf, and start knocking. The app works offline for neighborhoods with bad cell coverage, and every door is logged with a timestamp.
If filing is settled and you're thinking about the field operation, our For Candidates page walks through the next steps.