Handbook·Elections

Running for office in California

State page·Verified 2026-07-10

This page covers what's specific to California on top of the general guide to filing for local office.

Filing in California

California legislative candidates file a Declaration of Intention ahead of the main filing period, which runs from 113 to 88 days before the election, and extends 5 additional days if no eligible incumbent files. The filing fee is 1 percent of the office's first-year salary, but you can substitute signatures gathered in lieu of paying all or part of that fee. Assembly candidates need 1,000 registered-voter signatures for this purpose. Local offices, including city council and county board of supervisors, follow the same filing-window timing under the Elections Code but are filed with the county Registrar of Voters rather than the Secretary of State, and each county publishes its own local guidelines and in-lieu signature options.

Deadlines and numbers

  • Declaration of Intention: due February 9, 2026 (2026 cycle)
  • General filing period: 113th to 88th day before the election, extends 5 days if no incumbent files
  • Filing fee: 1 percent of first-year salary, or signatures-in-lieu
  • Assembly signatures-in-lieu: 1,000 signatures

The dossier flags one disputed number: the current State Senate signatures-in-lieu figure appears differently across sources (1,358 vs. 2,000). Confirm this directly against the Secretary of State's qualifications PDF linked below before relying on it, or route to /engage.

Where to go