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Note: This article is not intended to serve as a guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact theirstate election agencies for further information.

In order to get on the ballot in Arizona, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines.These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.

1. An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Arizona. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates,click here. Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contactstate election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).

Seestate election laws

Year-specific filing information

2026

See also: Signature requirements and deadlines for 2026 U.S. Congress elections andArizona elections, 2026

U.S. House

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Arizona in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Arizona, clickhere.

Governor

The table below details filing requirements for gubernatorial candidates in Arizona in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Arizona, clickhere.

State House

The table below details filing requirements for Arizona House of Representatives candidates in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Arizona, clickhere.

State Senate

The table below details filing requirements for Arizona State Senate candidates in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Arizona, clickhere.

For filing information from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.

Process to become a candidate

See statutes:Title 16, Chapter 3 of the Arizona Revised Statutes

Candidates inArizona can access the ballot as political party candidates, independent candidates, or write-in candidates. Candidates must file a statement of interest, nomination paper, financial disclosure statement, and nomination petitions.^[11] Candidates file in-person or online, though the Candidate Portal, depending on the document in question.Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; name cannot be a simple integer. Use a descriptive title

Political party candidates

Political party candidates are nominated in primary elections. If no candidate is nominated at the primary election for a specific office, no candidate for that office can appear on the general election ballot for that political party.^[12][13]

A political party candidate must file his or her nomination documents during the candidate filing period, which begins 120 days before the primary and ends 90 days before the primary. At the time of filing, a candidate must be a qualified voter residing in the geographic area represented by the office being sought. The following documents must be filed in order to gain ballot access:Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; name cannot be a simple integer. Use a descriptive title

• a financial disclosure statement
• an affidavit affirming that the candidate will be eligible to hold office if elected
• a nomination paper including the following information:
  • candidate’s residence address
  • name of the party with which the candidate is affiliated
  • office the candidate seeks, with district or precinct, if applicable
  • the candidate’s name as the candidate wishes it to appear on the ballot
  • date of the primary and corresponding general election
• a nomination petition

Nomination petitions must be signed by qualified electors who are eligible to vote for the office the candidate is seeking. A qualified signer may be a "registered member of the party from which the candidate is seeking nomination," a "registered member of a political party that is not entitled to continued representation on the ballot," or an independent. To calculate the number of petition signatures needed, the voter registration totals as of the year of the election must be used. Signature requirements vary according to the office being sought. See the table below for further details.Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; name cannot be a simple integer. Use a descriptive title

Newly qualified political party candidates

A candidate of a newly qualified political party must file the same documents at the same time as other political party candidates. Petition signature requirements are different for newly qualified political party candidates. A candidate of a new political party must file signatures equal to at least one-tenth of 1 percent of the total votes cast for the winning presidential or gubernatorial candidate at the last general election in the district the candidate seeks to represent.Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; name cannot be a simple integer. Use a descriptive title

Independent candidates

A candidate may not run as an independent if he or she is representing a party that failed to qualify for the primary election. Additionally, a candidate cannot run as an independent if he or she tried and failed to qualify as a political party candidate in the primary.Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; name cannot be a simple integer. Use a descriptive title

An independent candidate must be nominated by petition to run in the general election. The nomination petition must be filed with the financial disclosure statement during the candidate filing period, which begins 120 days before the primary election and ends 90 days before the primary election.Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; name cannot be a simple integer. Use a descriptive title

An independent candidate's nomination petition must be signed by registered voters eligible to vote for the office the candidate is seeking. The number of signatures required on the petition is equal to at least 3 percent of all registered voters who are not affiliated with a recognized political party in the district the candidate seeks to represent. Signature requirement figures should be calculated using voter registration data from the year of the election. Though the number of signatures required to gain ballot access as an independent is related to the number of registered voters who are not affiliated with recognized political parties, the affiliation of those signing the petitions does not matter as long as they have not already signed a political party candidate's petition.Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; name cannot be a simple integer. Use a descriptive title

Write-in candidates

A candidate may not file as a write-in if any of the following are true:Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; name cannot be a simple integer. Use a descriptive title

• The candidate ran in the primary election and failed to get elected.
• The candidate did not file enough signatures to be allowed ballot access when previously filing for primary ballot access.
• The candidate filed nomination petitions to run in the general election but did not submit enough valid signatures to gain ballot access.

Write-in votes will not be counted unless the write-in candidate files a nomination paper and financial disclosure form no later than 5 p.m. on the 40th day before the election in which the candidate intends to run. The nomination paper must include the following information:Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; name cannot be a simple integer. Use a descriptive title

• the candidate's name and signature
• the candidate's residence address or description of place of residence and post office address
• the candidate's age
• the length of time the candidate has been a resident of the state
• the candidate's date of birth

Petition requirements

See statutes:Title 16, Chapter 3 of the Arizona Revised Statutes

In some cases, political parties and/or candidates may need to obtain signatures via the petition process to gain ballot access. This section outlines the laws and regulations pertaining topetitions andcirculators inArizona.

Format requirements

Petitions inArizona are used by political party candidates and independent candidates to access the ballot. They are also used to qualify new political party parties in the state. No matter the intended use of the petition, it should adhere to the following format:Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; name cannot be a simple integer. Use a descriptive titleCite error: Invalid<ref> tag; name cannot be a simple integer. Use a descriptive title

• Petitions should be presented on paper 11 inches long and 8.5 inches wide.
• Petitions should have a caption explaining the purpose of the petition, followed by a body of the petition explaining the intent of the petitioners.
• There should be 10 signature lines, numbered consecutively and spaced one-half of an inch apart.
• The signature portion of the petition must be divided into four columns headed by the following titles:
  • Signatures
  • Printed name
  • Residence address
  • Date of signing

Nomination petitions must be labeled "partisan" or "nonpartisan." They may also contain a photograph of the candidate seeking nomination.Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; name cannot be a simple integer. Use a descriptive titleCite error: Invalid<ref> tag; name cannot be a simple integer. Use a descriptive title

Signature requirements

Each signer of a nomination petition may sign only one petition per office, unless more than one candidate is to be elected for that office. In that case, signers may sign as many nomination petitions as there are candidates that will be elected to the office.Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; name cannot be a simple integer. Use a descriptive title

Circulation requirements

All petitions must be signed by the circulator who circulated them, and the circulator's name should be printed or typed beneath his or her signature. The circulator's residence address should also be included on the petition. If a circulator is not a resident of the state, he or she must register with theArizona Secretary of State.Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; name cannot be a simple integer. Use a descriptive title

A circulator must verify that every name on the petition was signed in his or her presence on the date indicated and that, to the best of the circulator's knowledge, each signer was a qualified elector living at the residence address given.Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; name cannot be a simple integer. Use a descriptive title

Electronic petitions

See also:Methods for signing candidate nominating petitions

In 2012, Arizona implemented theE-Qual electronic nominating petition-signing platform. As of 2025, the platform was available for use by federal, statewide, and state legislative candidates.^[14][15]

State law pertaining to candidates for Congress reads as follows:

State law for statewide and state legislative candidates says the following:

Objections

If an elector wishes to challenge the validity of a petition filed with theArizona Secretary of State, he or she must do so no later than 5 p.m. on the 10th business day after the close of the candidate filing period. In order to challenge a petition, the elector must specify the petition page number, line number, and reason for each signature challenged. Failure to specify this information will result in the dismissal of the challenge. The state superior court will hear and render a decision on the challenge within 10 days of it being filed.^[19]

Noteworthy events

2015

On April 13, 2015, GovernorDoug Ducey (R) signed into law a bill that increased the number of petition signatures required of political party candidates. Prior to the bill's signing, a candidate's signature requirements were calculated as a percentage of his or her party's total voter registration. After the bill's signing, signature requirements were calculated as a percentage of total qualified signers (including both party members and independents).Richard Winger, editor ofBallot Access News, noted that the law would have "no effect on parties that have been ballot-qualified for less than four years."^[20][21][22]

Election administration agencies

Election agencies

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

See also:State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in Arizona can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.

Arizona County Election Officials

Click here for a list

Office of the Secretary of State, Elections Division

1700 W. Washington Street, Floor 7

Phoenix, Arizona 85007

Phone: 602-542-4285

Toll free: 1-877-THE-VOTE

Email:https://azsos.gov/webform/contact?department=1005

Website:http://www.azsos.gov/

Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission

Physical Address: 1110 W. Washington St., Suite 250

Phoenix, Arizona 85007

Mailing address: 1802 W. Jackson St. #129

Phoenix, Arizona 85007

Phone: 602-364-3477

Toll free: 877-631-8891

Fax: 602-364-3487

Email:ccec@azcleanelections.gov

Website:http://www.azcleanelections.gov/

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20001

Phone: 301-563-3919

Toll free: 1-866-747-1471

Email:clearinghouse@eac.gov

Website:https://www.eac.gov

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Do you need information about elections inyour area? Are you looking foryour local election official?Click here to visit theU.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool.

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Term limits

Arizona state executives andlegislators have term limits. These limits were established byPropsition 107, which was passed by voters in 1992 to amendArticle 5 of theArizona Constitution.

State executives

See also:State executives with term limits,States with gubernatorial term limits andArizona state executive official elections, 2016

Thestate executive term limits inArizona are as follows:

• Thegovernor may serve no more than two consecutive terms.
• Thesecretary of state may serve no more than two consecutive terms.
• Theattorney general may serve no more than two consecutive terms.
• Thestate treasurer may serve no more than two consecutive terms.
• Thesuperintendent of public instruction may serve no more than two consecutive terms.

State legislators

See also:State legislatures with term limits

A state legislator inArizona may serve no more than four consecutive terms (equivalent to eight years) in either theArizona State Senate or theArizona House of Representatives.

Congressional partisanship

See also:List of United States Representatives from Arizona andList of United States Senators from Arizona

Below is the current partisan breakdown of the congressional delegation fromArizona.

State legislative partisanship

Below is the current partisan breakdown of members of the state legislature ofArizona.

Arizona State Senate

Arizona House of Representatives

Related legislation

The table below lists bills related to ballot access requirements for candidates that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in Arizona. The following information is included for each bill:

• State
• Bill number
• Official bill name or caption
• Most recent action date
• Legislative status
• Sponsor party
• Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page onBallotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.

The Ballot Bulletin

TheBallot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from ourElection Administration Legislation Tracker. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.

Recent issues

Click below to view recent issues of The Ballot Bulletin.

• The Ballot Bulletin: November 21, 2025
• The Ballot Bulletin: November 14, 2025
• The Ballot Bulletin: November 7, 2025
• The Ballot Bulletin: October 31, 2025
• The Ballot Bulletin: October 24, 2025

Subscribe

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See also

• Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Arizona
• Ballot access requirements for political parties in Arizona
• Arizona elections, 2024
• Campaign finance requirements in Arizona
• Counties in Arizona
• List of United States Representatives from Arizona
• List of United States Senators from Arizona
• Methods for signing candidate nominating petitions
• State executives with term limits
• States with gubernatorial term limits
• State legislatures with term limits

External links

Official state and federal links

• Arizona Secretary of State
• Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission
• Federal Election Commission
• Arizona Secretary of State, "Running for Office"

Other information

• Ballot Access News – News updates and analysis of ballot access issues
• ThirdPartyPolitics.us – Blog about American third party and independent politics
• National Voter Outreach – Political consulting firm that specializes in organizing petition signature drives

Footnotes

v • e Election policy Election legislation Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker •Ballotpedia's The Ballot Bulletin •Election legislation tracking: list of sub-topics •Absentee/mail-in voting •Early voting •Election dates and deadlines •Election Day voting •Ranked-choice voting •Redistricting •Voter registration Election administration Alabama •Alaska •Arizona •Arkansas •California •Colorado •Connecticut •Delaware •Florida •Georgia •Hawaii •Idaho •Illinois •Indiana •Iowa •Kansas •Kentucky •Louisiana •Maine •Maryland •Massachusetts •Michigan •Minnesota •Mississippi •Missouri •Montana •Nebraska •Nevada •New Hampshire •New Jersey •New Mexico •New York •North Carolina •North Dakota •Ohio •Oklahoma •Oregon •Pennsylvania •Rhode Island •South Carolina •South Dakota •Tennessee •Texas •Utah •Vermont •Virginia •Washington •Washington, D.C. •West Virginia •Wisconsin •Wyoming Voting policy Alabama •Alaska •Arizona •Arkansas •California •Colorado •Connecticut •Delaware •Florida •Georgia •Hawaii •Idaho •Illinois •Indiana •Iowa •Kansas •Kentucky •Louisiana •Maine •Maryland •Massachusetts •Michigan •Minnesota •Mississippi •Missouri •Montana •Nebraska •Nevada •New Hampshire •New Jersey •New Mexico •New York •North Carolina •North Dakota •Ohio •Oklahoma •Oregon •Pennsylvania •Rhode Island •South Carolina •South Dakota •Tennessee •Texas •Utah •Vermont •Virginia •Washington •West Virginia •Wisconsin •Wyoming Electoral systems policy Alabama •Alaska •Arizona •Arkansas •California •Colorado •Connecticut •Delaware •Florida •Georgia •Hawaii •Idaho •Illinois •Indiana •Iowa •Kansas •Kentucky •Louisiana •Maine •Maryland •Massachusetts •Michigan •Minnesota •Mississippi •Missouri •Montana •Nebraska •Nevada •New Hampshire •New Jersey •New Mexico •New York •North Carolina •North Dakota •Ohio •Oklahoma •Oregon •Pennsylvania •Rhode Island •South Carolina •South Dakota •Tennessee •Texas •Utah •Vermont •Virginia •Washington •West Virginia •Wisconsin •Wyoming Primary elections policy Alabama •Alaska •Arizona •Arkansas •California •Colorado •Connecticut •Delaware •Florida •Georgia •Hawaii •Idaho •Illinois •Indiana •Iowa •Kansas •Kentucky •Louisiana •Maine •Maryland •Massachusetts •Michigan •Minnesota •Mississippi •Missouri •Montana •Nebraska •Nevada •New Hampshire •New Jersey •New Mexico •New York •North Carolina •North Dakota •Ohio •Oklahoma •Oregon •Pennsylvania •Rhode Island •South Carolina •South Dakota •Tennessee •Texas •Utah •Vermont •Virginia •Washington •West Virginia •Wisconsin •Wyoming Redistricting policy Alabama •Alaska •Arizona •Arkansas •California •Colorado •Connecticut •Delaware •Florida •Georgia •Hawaii •Idaho •Illinois •Indiana •Iowa •Kansas •Kentucky •Louisiana •Maine •Maryland •Massachusetts •Michigan •Minnesota •Mississippi •Missouri •Montana •Nebraska •Nevada •New Hampshire •New Jersey •New Mexico •New York •North Carolina •North Dakota •Ohio •Oklahoma •Oregon •Pennsylvania •Rhode Island •South Carolina •South Dakota •Tennessee •Texas •Utah •Vermont •Virginia •Washington •West Virginia •Wisconsin •Wyoming Recount laws Alabama •Alaska •Arizona •Arkansas •California •Colorado •Connecticut •Delaware •Florida •Georgia •Hawaii •Idaho •Illinois •Indiana •Iowa •Kansas •Kentucky •Louisiana •Maine •Maryland •Massachusetts •Michigan •Minnesota •Mississippi •Missouri •Montana •Nebraska •Nevada •New Hampshire •New Jersey •New Mexico •New York •North Carolina •North Dakota •Ohio •Oklahoma •Oregon •Pennsylvania •Rhode Island •South Carolina •South Dakota •Tennessee •Texas •Utah •Vermont •Virginia •Washington •West Virginia •Wisconsin •Wyoming Ballot access for political candidates Alabama •Alaska •Arizona •Arkansas •California •Colorado •Connecticut •Delaware •Florida •Georgia •Hawaii •Idaho •Illinois •Indiana •Iowa •Kansas •Kentucky •Louisiana •Maine •Maryland •Massachusetts •Michigan •Minnesota •Mississippi •Missouri •Montana •Nebraska •Nevada •New Hampshire •New Jersey •New Mexico •New York •North Carolina •North Dakota •Ohio •Oklahoma •Oregon •Pennsylvania •Rhode Island •South Carolina •South Dakota •Tennessee •Texas •Utah •Vermont •Virginia •Washington •West Virginia •Wisconsin •Wyoming Ballot access for presidential candidates Alabama •Alaska •Arizona •Arkansas •California •Colorado •Connecticut •Delaware •Florida •Georgia •Hawaii •Idaho •Illinois •Indiana •Iowa •Kansas •Kentucky •Louisiana •Maine •Maryland •Massachusetts •Michigan •Minnesota •Mississippi •Missouri •Montana •Nebraska •Nevada •New Hampshire •New Jersey •New Mexico •New York •North Carolina •North Dakota •Ohio •Oklahoma •Oregon •Pennsylvania •Rhode Island •South Carolina •South Dakota •Tennessee •Texas •Utah •Vermont •Virginia •Washington •West Virginia •Wisconsin •Wyoming Ballot access for political parties Alabama •Alaska •Arizona •Arkansas •California •Colorado •Connecticut •Delaware •Florida •Georgia •Hawaii •Idaho •Illinois •Indiana •Iowa •Kansas •Kentucky •Louisiana •Maine •Maryland •Massachusetts •Michigan •Minnesota •Mississippi •Missouri •Montana •Nebraska •Nevada •New Hampshire •New Jersey •New Mexico •New York •North Carolina •North Dakota •Ohio •Oklahoma •Oregon •Pennsylvania •Rhode Island •South Carolina •South Dakota •Tennessee •Texas •Utah •Vermont •Virginia •Washington •West Virginia •Wisconsin •Wyoming Electoral systems Single-winner system •Multi-winner system •Block voting system •Plurality voting system •Majority voting system •Top-two primary •Blanket primary •Open primary •Closed primary •Semi-closed primary •Top-four primary •Ranked-choice voting (RCV) •STAR voting •Approval voting •Fusion voting