Candidates

Who's My Filing Officer?

A general list of filing officers for offices is listed below.

State Office Candidate Wisconsin Elections Commission
County Office Candidate County clerk
Local/Municipal Candidate Village, town, or city clerk
School Board Candidate School district clerk

Incumbents not Running for Reelection

If you are an elected official who is not running again, you are required to file a Notification of Non-Candidacy form with the filing officer to give potential candidates notice of an open seat. 

Notification must be received by the proper filing officer no later than 5:00 p.m. on the 2nd Friday preceding the deadline for filing ballot access documents to avoid an extension of time for filing such papers.  

Write-in Candidates

Individuals running as write-in candidates are required to file their CF-1 with the filing officer for the contest by noon (12 p.m.)the Friday before the election in which they intend to run.

Candidates FAQ

View all FAQ
    Who do I file my candidacy forms with?

    Candidates file their forms with the filing officer at the level of office they are running for. Federal, Statewide, and multijurisdictional judicial candidates file their Declaration of Candidacy and Nomination Papers with Wisconsin Elections Commission. Statewide, and multijurisdictional judicial candidates file their Campaign Finance Registration Statement and Statement of Economic Interests with Wisconsin Ethics Commission. 

    How do I see who is running for an office?

    Anyone can view the list of candidates running for office. For federal, statewide, and multijurisdictional judge positions, Wisconsin Elections Commission publishes and posts the Candidate Tracking by Office report ahead of the election. Voters can view exactly who will be on their ballot on the Type B notice published by the clerks on the Friday before the election. They may also view a sample ballot on MyVote.

    Note: Sample ballots will not appear in MyVote until the list of candidates has been certified and added to the election by the clerks. Voter can expect to be able to view their sample ballot up to two weeks before the election.

    How many signatures do I need to get on my nomination papers?

    The number of signatures needed to get your name added to the ballot is dependent on the level of office you are running for. Please consult the Ballot Access checklist for the office for federal, statewide, and multi-jurisdictional judicial offices. Local candidates should check with their local filing officers (county, municipal, or school district clerks).