Filing for Office

Candidate Filing for 
County, State, and Federal Offices 
Begins at noon, Monday December 1, 2025
Ends at noon, December 19, 2025

  • List of local offices up for election with filing fees and the 2026 Election Schedule can be found HERE
  • Information on what to expect when filing for office in Orange County can be found HERE
  • Candidate's Guide to 2026 Election can be found HERE 
  • State Board of Elections overview on running for office can be found HERE
  • Filing for candidacy information from the State Board of Elections, including the Notice of Candidacy form, can be found HERE
  • Please check with your bank before filing to ascertain what documents are needed to open a campaign committee bank account 

Campaign Finance:
Forms can be completed before filing and brought with you for our review. The campaign finance forms you will need can be found here:

New Candidate Under Threshold
(anticipate spending LESS than $1000 running for office)

New Candidate Over Threshold
(anticipate spending MORE than $1000 running for office)

Information on campaign finance from the State Board of Elections, including the Campaign Finance Manual, can be found on the Campaign Finance Webpage

Notices of Candidacy may not be delivered by surrogates or staff:
Only the candidate may file the notice of candidacy and pay the filing fee in person at the appropriate board of elections. Alternatively, a candidate may have the candidate’s signature on the notice of candidacy acknowledged and certified by an officer authorized to take acknowledgments and administer oaths, in which case the candidate may mail or deliver by commercial courier service the candidate’s notice of candidacy to the appropriate board of elections. 

Please note that the candidate is not considered to have filed their mailed notice of candidacy until the appropriate board of elections receives it. We must receive your Notice of Candidacy during the filing period.  

Review the Signage Requirements:
Neither the county boards nor the State Board regulates the placement of signage except at polling sites. Signs fall under N.C.G.S. § 136-32 and are under the purview of the Department of Transportation or the individual municipality. In terms of signs on private property, that is the purview of the property owner and possibly their HOA if one exists. Review the signage requirement guidelines at the Littering Statutes Filing Fact Sheet (PDF).