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Now that you’ve filed, you’re officially a candidate - Congratulations! But your work has only just begun. Candidates are required to meet one of two qualification thresholds to officially get their name on the ballot. Whether you plan to qualify by submitting petitions or paying the qualifying fee, you need to start working now. Review our Qualifying for the Ballot Guide to plan your qualifying strategy.

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🗳️ Two Options to Qualify: Petition or Fee

All Federal candidates must decide to qualify either by paying a fee or by petition and submit qualifying documents to the appropriate qualifying officer by April 26th, 2026. Candidates may turn in qualifying documents as early as March 23rd, 2026. For additional information about qualifying dates visit the Division of Elections Qualifying Information page.

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Qualifying By Petition - Deadline March 2026

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Qualifying By Fee - Deadline April 2026

Requirements For Qualifying

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The qualifying deadline is strict. Candidates who turn in paperwork or have unresolved issues after the 12 PM deadline will be disqualified from candidacy. Do not wait until the last minute to turn in your paperwork.

Even if a candidate submitted the required number of petitions by the petition deadline, they will still turn in the qualifying paperwork (minus the qualifying fee).

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1️⃣ File for office: For more information, check out Federal Candidates: Filing For Office .

2️⃣ Complete the Federal Candidate Oath with Party Affiliation: All candidates, regardless of qualifying method, must turn in this document by the qualifying deadline. For additional guidance on completing the oath, see this recording and the **Federal Qualifying Handbook.**

🏠 The address listed on your candidate oath must match your voter registration. Campaign office addresses, PO boxes, etc. will not be accepted.

✒️ Florida Law prohibits an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) from performing notary services for you. To avoid delays in qualification and to avoid challenges, we recommend that your notary does not share the candidate’s last name.

3️⃣ **Write a check to the Florida Division of Elections for $10,440: **If you have met the requirement to qualify by petition, no check is required, but candidate oath must still be submitted.

📝 Only checks are accepted, no cash or money orders. Check must be signed by the campaign’s listed treasurer and be from an official campaign bank account.

NOTE for Bank Accounts and Temporary Checks: Some candidates may not open a campaign bank account with enough time to receive official campaign checks to qualify. Candidates should contact banks before opening an account to ensure the branch provides temporary checks. If you pay the qualifying fee using a temporary check, candidates should provide proof of account with official bank documentation when submitting their qualifying papers to the DOE.

❌ Bank of America, Regions, and TD Bank DO NOT provide temporary checks.

✅ Truist DOES provide temporary checks.

4️⃣ Deliver Paperwork (and check, if applicable) to Florida Division of Elections before the deadline

We highly encourage delivering qualifying paperwork through FedEx and UPS with tracking information. The United States Postal Service does not deliver directly to the front desk at the Division of Elections but to a PO box for the building’s mail room. Sending via USPS has caused significant delays and can result in lost paperwork.