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Run For Office

How To Become A Candidate

Decide What Office You Wish To Run For

• Check here to determine which offices are up for election.
• Make sure you meet the qualifications for the office you seek. This link will take you to the races and requirements.

• You must file your Appointment of Campaign Treasurer and Designation of Depository with our office before you are allowed to accept any money or spend any money on behalf of your campaign. Once you have filed this form, you are a candidate and should follow Chapter 106 of the Election Code which the Supervisor of Elections will give you.
• This form states which office you are running for, which bank you are using for your campaign account, and who is serving as your campaign treasurer.
• This form may be filed at any time of the year.
• After filing your Appointment of Treasurer and Designation of Depository Form you will be given a copy of Florida Statutes Chapter 106. Chapter 106 contains the campaign finance laws of the State of Florida.

• You must file this form with our office within 10 days of receiving your Chapter 106 and filing your Appointment of Treasurer and Designation of Depository Form.
• This form acknowledges that you have read Chapter 106 and will be able to run your campaign in accordance with the laws of the State of Florida.

• Once you have filed your Appointment of Treasurer, you will be required to file Campaign Treasurer's Reports. The Supervisor of Elections will provide you with a list of the report dates and the period covered by the report.
• You will receive a copy of the electronic filing manual. This electronic filing system is provided, cost free, to Candidates, Committees, and Parties required to file reports here in Alachua County.

• Florida Law allows that you may qualify for office by paying a qualifying fee or by collecting signed petitions.
• If collecting signatures, pay the signature verification fee or file your Oath of Undue Burden. Pursuant to S.99.097(4), Florida Statutes, a candidate who has chosen the petition method to qualify, must pay in advance the sum of 10 cents for each signature checked to the Supervisor of Elections, unless you have filed an oath of undue burden.

• Any registered voter in Alachua County may sign your petition. You will need to collect signatures equal to 1% of the registered voters in the last General Election. For 2010, county-wide candidates will need to submit 1,547 valid signatures to qualify by the Petition Method. Petition requirements for other candidates can be found on the Florida Division of Elections' website at www.elections.myflorida.com.
• Federal, judicial, state attorney and public defender candidates must submit petitions to the Supervisor of Elections before noon on March 29th, 2010.
• Statewide, multi-county, county and district candidates must submit petitions to the Supervisor of Elections before noon on May 17th, 2010.

• "Qualifying" is the official process of getting your name on the ballot. This occurs during a designated week prior to the Primary Election. The Supervisor of Elections has prepared a packet for candidates for County offices with the forms you will need to file, and the filing dates. These papers must be filed with the Supervisor before noon of the last day of qualifying.
• Candidates for federal, judicial, state attorney, public defender, statewide or multi-county office must qualify with the Florida Division of Elections. Please see their website at www.elections.myflorida.com for information.

• Chapter 104 of the Florida Statutes governs violations of Florida's election laws. Jurisdiction to investigate and determine violations of Florida election laws is vested in the Florida Division of Elections and the Florida Elections Commission. Violations of Florida Statutes governing campaigns are subject to penalties ranging from fines and warnings, up to removal of the candidate's name from the ballot, disqualification from taking office, and other criminal penalties.

• Check here to determine which Special District offices are up for election.
• Make sure you meet the qualifications for the office you seek.

• Effective January 1, 2008, all special district candidates shall qualify by paying a filing fee of $25 or by obtaining 25 signatures of voters in the geographical area represented by the office sought.
• A special district candidate who does not collect contributions and whose only expense is the filing fee or signature verification fee is not required to appoint a campaign treasurer or designate a primary campaign depository. If these fees are your only expense, you are not required to pay these expenses with a campaign check.
• If you choose to open a campaign account, you must pay the filing fee or signature verification fee with a campaign check.

• You must file your Appointment of Campaign Treasurer and Designation of Depository with our office before you are allowed to accept any money or spend any money on behalf of your campaign. Once you have filed this form, you are a candidate and should follow Chapter 106 of the Election Code which the Supervisor of Elections will give you.
• This form states which office you are running for, which bank you are using for your campaign account, and who is serving as your campaign treasurer.
• This form may be filed at any time of the year.
• After filing your Appointment of Treasurer and Designation of Depository Form you will be given a copy of Florida Statutes Chapter 106. Chapter 106 contains the campaign finance laws of the State of Florida.

• You must file this form with our office within 10 days of receiving your copy of Florida Statutes Chapter 106.
• This form acknowledges that you have read Chapter 106 and will be able to run your campaign in accordance with the laws of the State of Florida.

• Once you have filed your Appointment of Treasurer, you will be required to file Campaign Treasurer's Reports. The Supervisor of Elections will provide you with a list of the report due dates and the period covered by the report.
• You will receive a copy of the electronic filing manual. This electronic filing system is provided, cost free, to Candidates, Committees, and Parties required to file reports here in Alachua County.

• The petition format is prescribed by the Florida Division of Elections. A petition sample can be obtained from the Supervisor of Elections or may be printed from this PDF (DS-DE 104). If the candidate is running for an office that requires a group or district designation, the petition must indicate that designation and, if it does not, the signatures are not valid. (For example, Soil & Water Conservation District, Seat 2 or Soil & Water Conservation District, Seat 4.)
• Obtain 25 signatures of voters in the geographical area represented by the special district office sought.
• Pay the signature verification fee or file your Oath of Undue Burden. Pursuant to S.99.097(4), Florida Statutes, a candidate who has chosen the petition method to qualify, must pay in advance the sum of 10 cents for each signature checked to the Supervisor of Elections, unless you have filed an oath of undue burden.
• Special District candidates must submit petitions to the Supervisor of Elections before noon on May 17th, 2010.

• "Qualifying" is the official process of getting your name on the ballot. This occurs during a designated week prior to the Primary Election. The Supervisor of Elections has prepared a packet with forms you will need to file, and the filing dates. These papers must be filed with the Supervisor before noon of the last day of qualifying.
• If you chose the option of paying the $25 Qualifying Fee, it is due during the qualifying period.

• Chapter 104 of the Florida Statutes governs violations of Florida's election laws. Jurisdiction to investigate and determine violations of Florida election laws is vested in the Florida Division of Elections and the Florida Elections Commission. Violations of Florida Statutes governing campaigns are subject to penalties ranging from fines and warnings, up to removal of the candidate's name from the ballot, disqualification from taking office, and other criminal penalties.