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.
Official Virginia 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. 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.