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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 Non-Federal candidates must decide to qualify either by paying a fee or by petition and submit qualifying documents to the appropriate qualifying officer by June 12th, 2026. Candidates may turn in qualifying documents as early as May 11th, 2026. For additional information about qualifying dates visit the Division of Elections Qualifying Information page.

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Qualifying By Petition - Deadline May 2026

• Deadline for turning in all petitions: Monday, May 11th, @ 12pm
  • Regardless of qualifying method, candidates must turn in the qualifying paperwork in addition to petitions by the deadline on Friday, June 12th, 2026 @ 12:00pm
• While qualifying by petition takes a lot of time and energy, we strongly recommend qualifying by petition rather than paying the fee, learn more Qualify by Petition </aside>

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Qualifying By Fee- Deadline April 26

• Deadline for turning in qualifying paperwork: Friday, June 12th, 2026 @ 12:00pm
  • All candidates must complete the qualifying paperwork regardless of qualifying method by Friday, June 12th, 2026 @ 12:00pm
• The fee for State Legislature candidates is $1,781.82, for county-level and municipal offices, check with your Supervisor of Elections, City Clerk, or appropriate qualifying officer to confirm fee amount.
• You can check out our fundraising page & finance page for fundraising resources </aside>

Requirements To Qualify

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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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All Municipal candidates should check their individual county and municipality qualifying requirements. Find your county's SOE site here

1️⃣ File for office: for more information check out, Non-Federal Candidates: Filing for Office

2️⃣ Complete the DS-DE 301A: Candidate Oath State & Local Partisan Office with Party Affiliation, If you are qualifying for a non-partisan/municipal office, find the applicable form here: All candidates, regardless of qualifying method, must turn in this document by the qualifying deadline. For additional guidance on completing this, check out our Qualifying For The Ballot Workshop Recording.

➡️ If you are using a nickname on the ballot, make sure to complete the Affidavit of Nickname on the Oath form.

🏠 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 Submit the Form 6 Financial Disclosure Submission Verification Receipt.

Learn more about the Form 6 on our Non-Federal Candidates: Form 6