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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 Florida, 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 Florida. 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 andFlorida elections, 2026

U.S. House

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

Governor

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

State House

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

State Senate

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

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

Process to become a candidate

See statutes:Chapter 99 of the Florida Statutes

InFlorida, a candidate cannot file for more than one office at a time if the terms of those offices run concurrently. Thus, any elected public official wishing to run for office mustresign if the term of that office will run concurrently with the office the official currently holds.^[12]

Qualifying as a candidate

Major party, minor party, and unaffiliated candidates inFlorida file in the same way. All qualifying paperwork and filing fees must be submitted to the Florida Department of State, Division of Elections, during the qualifying period corresponding to the office being sought. Qualifying periods are as follows:^[9]

1. For candidates seeking federal office, state attorney, or public defender, filing may begin after noon on the 120th day prior to the primary election and must be completed no later than noon on the 116th day before the primary election.
2. For candidates seeking state office, other than state attorney or public defender, filing may begin after noon on the 71st day before the primary election and must be completed no later than noon on the 67th day before the primary election.

• During a year in which theFlorida State Legislature apportions the state, all candidates must file during the qualifying period designated for those seeking state office.

During the qualifying period, every candidate must file a full and public disclosure of financial interests, a form designating a campaign treasurer and campaign depository, qualifying fees or in-lieu-of-fee petitions, and a candidate oath. The candidate oath must be administered by the qualifying officer and must be signed in its written form by both the candidate and the qualifying officer, affirming the following:^[12]

1. The candidate is a registered voter.
2. The candidate is qualified to run for and hold the office being sought.
3. The candidate has not qualified for any other office in the state that runs for the same term as the office sought.
4. The candidate has resigned from any other public office whose term would run at the same time as the office being sought.
5. The assessment fee has been paid.
6. If running with a political party, the candidate has not been a registered member of any other political party for 365 days before the beginning of the qualifying period.

Candidate filing fees

InFlorida, candidates are required to pay filing fees and election assessment fees to the Division of Elections when qualifying. A party assessment fee may also be required, if the party the candidate is running with elects to levy one. For political party candidates, total fees are equal to 6 percent of the annual salary of the office being sought (i.e., a 3 percent filing fee, a 1 percent election assessment, and a 2 percent party assessment). For unaffiliated candidates, total fees are equal to 4 percent of the annual salary of the office being sought. (i.e., a 3 percent filing fee and a 1 percent election assessment).^[13]

A candidate may waive the required filing fees if he or she submits an in-lieu-of-filing-fee petition with signatures equal to at least 1 percent of the total number of registered voters in the geographical area represented by the office being sought. Signatures for this petition may not be collected until the candidate has filed the appointment of campaign treasurer and designation of campaign depository form, and the completed petition must be filed by the 28th day preceding the first day of the qualifying period for the office being sought. This petition must be filed with the supervisor of elections in each county in which the petition was circulated in order to verify the signatures. The supervisor of elections in the county must then certify the number of valid signatures to the Florida Division of Elections no later than seven days prior to the first day of the corresponding qualifying period.^[14]

Write-in candidates

A write-in candidate is not entitled to have his or her name printed on any ballots, but a space is provided for voters to write in a candidate's name on the general election ballot. A candidate may not qualify as a write-in candidate if he or she has qualified to run for public office by other means.^[9][15]

A write-in candidate is required to file a candidate oath with the Florida Division of Elections. This is due during the standard qualifying period for the office being sought. A write-in candidate is not required to pay any filing fees.^[9][16]

Petition requirements

See also:Methods for signing candidate nominating petitions

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 inFlorida.

Format requirements

InFlorida, petitions are used by candidates to waive filing fees. To do this, candidates are required to use "Form DS-DE 104, Candidate Petition." If reproduced, the wording and format of this form must be kept exact.^[17]

Candidates file completed petitions with the supervisors of elections in the counties in which the petitions were circulated. When filing, candidates must pay in advance to have their petitions verified. They must pay the sum of 10 cents per signature verified, or the actual cost of checking each signature, whichever is less. A candidate may submit an "Undue Burden Oath" if he or she cannot afford to pay to have the petitions verified; however, if the candidate paid a circulator to circulate the petition, that candidate may not file an "Undue Burden Oath." Petition fees may be paid in any of the following ways:^[17][18][19]

• with a campaign check or the campaign's petty cash
• with personal funds

Alternatively, someone else may pay the verification fee and be reimbursed by the campaign.

Circulation requirements

There is nothing in the Florida Statutes that prohibits a candidate from paying a circulator to collect signatures for the candidate's petition. There are noresidency requirements for circulators.^[17]

Noteworthy events

2018

On May 24, 2018, Democrats filed suit againstKen Detzner (R), in his capacity as secretary of state, in theUnited States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, alleging that Florida's ballot ordering law, which stipulates that candidates belonging to the same party as the governor be listed first on the ballot, unduly burdens candidates belonging to other parties, violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Amendment XIV, United States Constitution. The plaintiffs alleged that this provision of state law unfairly benefits the governor's party, violating theFourteenth Amendment to theUnited States Constitution. The plaintiffs requested that the court bar state officials from enforcing the ballot ordering law beginning with the 2018 election cycle.^[20]

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 Florida can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.

Florida County Supervisors of Elections

Click here for a list

Florida Division of Elections

R. A. Gray Building, Room 316

500 South Bronough Street

Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0250

Phone: 850-245-6200

Fax: 850-245-6217

Email:DivElections@dos.state.fl.us

Website:http://election.dos.state.fl.us/

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

Florida state executives andlegislators are subject to term limits. These limits were established by Revision No. 11, proposed by theFlorida Constitution Revision Commission and adopted in 1998 byAmendment 9, which was passed by voters in 1992.

State executives

See also:State executives with term limits andStates with gubernatorial term limits

The state executive term limits inFlorida are as follows:^[21]

• Thegovernor may serve no more than two consecutive terms.
• Thelieutenant governor may serve no more than two consecutive terms.
• Theattorney general may serve no more than two consecutive terms.
• Thetreasurer may serve no more than two consecutive terms

State legislators

See also:State legislatures with term limits

A politician inFlorida can serve in the state legislature for eight years, serving either four two-year terms in theFlorida House of Representatives or two four-year terms in theFlorida State Senate.^[22]

Congressional partisanship

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

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

State legislative partisanship

Below is the current partisan breakdown of the state legislature ofFlorida.

Florida State Senate

Florida 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 Florida. 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 Florida
• Ballot access requirements for political parties in Florida
• Florida elections, 2024
• Campaign finance requirements in Florida
• Counties in Florida
• List of United States Representatives from Florida
• List of United States Senators from Florida
• 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

• Official Website of the Florida Division of Elections
• Federal Election Commission
• Florida Division of Elections, "Qualifying Information"
• Florida Division of Elections, "2024 Candidate Petition Handbook"

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

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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