The short version
Vermont holds an August primary. You get on the ballot at every level by filing a Consent of Candidate form and a petition with registered-voter signatures. There is no filing fee — ballot access is petition-based.
- Offices you can run for
- Federal (U.S. House and Senate); statewide (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer, Secretary of State, Auditor, Attorney General); the State Senate and the 150-member House; and county offices (sheriff, state's attorney, assistant judges, and others).
- How to get on the ballot
- File a Consent of Candidate form and the required petition signatures with the appropriate filing officer during the filing window — statewide candidates need 500 signatures, state senate 100, state representative 50, and county offices 100. Non-federal statewide candidates also file their most recent IRS Form 1040.
- Who runs candidate filing
- Vermont Secretary of State — 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 Vermont resources below are the final word. When in doubt, the elections authority is right and we're wrong.
Official Vermont candidate resources
Start here for the exact deadlines, fees, forms, and signature counts for your office and cycle.
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. Vermont is fully available — see how to get your voter file.
Talk to us about your Vermont 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.