Handbook·Elections

Running for office in Michigan

State page·Verified 2026-07-10

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

Filing in Michigan

Michigan candidates for state legislature and local office file either a nominating petition with signatures or, for major-party legislative candidates only, a $100 filing fee in lieu of a petition. Candidates with no party affiliation must gather qualifying petition signatures and can't use the fee option. Where you file depends on the office: the Michigan Secretary of State's Bureau of Elections handles federal, statewide, and multi-county state legislative districts, while single-county legislative districts and local offices, such as city council, township board, county commission, and school board, file with the relevant county or local clerk.

Deadlines and numbers

  • State legislature, major party: file a nominating petition or pay a $100 fee by 4:00pm, Tuesday, April 21, 2026
  • State legislature, no party affiliation: file a qualifying petition by 4:00pm, Thursday, July 16, 2026
  • State House nominating petition: 200 to 400 signatures, population-based under the 2020 census
  • State House qualifying petition, no party affiliation: 600 to 1,200 signatures
  • Filing fee in lieu of petition: $100, major-party candidates only

The dossier found no single statewide table giving exact signature ranges and filing deadlines for every local office, since these vary by jurisdiction population and are set by individual county or local clerks. It also didn't separately confirm 2026 rules for state Senate candidates as distinct from House, though the same fee-or-petition framework applies to state legislative candidates generally. Confirm current numbers with your county clerk or /engage before filing.

Where to go