The short version
In Virginia, how you qualify depends on the office and whether you run in a party primary, are nominated through a party process, or run as an independent. Most candidates file a Declaration of Candidacy plus Petitions of Qualified Voters; the parties may nominate by primary or by another method such as a convention.
- Offices you can run for
- Federal (U.S. House and Senate); statewide offices (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General); the General Assembly (State Senate and House of Delegates); and county and city local offices. (Most Virginia judges are elected by the General Assembly, not by voters.)
- How to get on the ballot
- File a Declaration of Candidacy and, where required, Petitions of Qualified Voters carrying the required signatures — for example, a statewide independent needs 10,000 signatures including at least 400 from each congressional district, with smaller counts for other offices. Petition circulation can begin January 1 of the election year; deadlines are listed in each office's Candidate Bulletin.
- Who runs candidate filing
- Virginia Department of Elections
This is a plain-language overview, not legal advice. Filing deadlines and fees change every election cycle and vary by office; the official Virginia resources below are the final word. When in doubt, the elections authority is right and we're wrong.
Find your Virginia county
Every county runs its own filing office and its own local races. See all 133 Virginia counties and cities, each with its election office, fees, deadlines and local facts.
The 2027 ballot in Virginia.
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.
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June 15, 2027
Primary — State and county.
Party primaries, where a party chooses to nominate by primary, for State Senate, House of Delegates, the county constitutional officers (Commonwealth's Attorney, Sheriff, Commissioner of the Revenue and Treasurer), boards of supervisors, and city and town councils.
Candidate filing: opens Mar 15, 2027, closes Apr 1, 2027.
Source 1 · Source 2 -
November 2, 2027
General — State and county.
General election for all 40 State Senate and all 100 House of Delegates seats. Under Va. Code 24.2-217 the four county constitutional officers -- Sheriff, Commonwealth's Attorney, Treasurer and Commissioner of the Revenue -- are on the same ballot in every county that has not abolished or consolidated the office.
Candidate filing: opens Jan 4, 2027, closes Jun 15, 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 Virginia 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. Virginia is fully available; see how to get your voter file.
Talk to us about your Virginia 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.