Handbook·Elections

Running for office in New Jersey

State page·Verified 2026-07-10

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

Filing in New Jersey

New Jersey Legislature candidates get on the ballot by petition, not by paying a filing fee. A 2025 law raised the signature threshold for state legislative candidates from 100 to 250 signatures of registered voters residing in the legislative district, gathered on a direct nominating petition. Petitions for Senate and Assembly candidates are filed with the Division of Elections in Trenton, part of the Department of State, which also handles congressional and statewide petitions. Practitioners commonly recommend collecting well above the minimum, since signatures can be struck during a challenge. Note that 2026 isn't a New Jersey legislative election year: all 80 Assembly seats were elected in November 2025, and Senate seats aren't up again until 2027.

Deadlines and numbers

  • Signature requirement, state legislature (Senate or Assembly): 250 signatures of district voters
  • Filing fee: none identified for state legislature candidates
  • 2026 primary: June 2, 2026. General: November 3, 2026 (no state legislative races this cycle)
  • Next Assembly election: 2027. Next Senate election: 2027

The dossier didn't locate a live 2026 state-specific petition instruction sheet for Assembly or Senate candidates, since no state legislative seats are on the 2026 ballot. It also didn't fully confirm the county-by-county petition filing procedure for state legislative candidates, as opposed to filing with the Division of Elections directly. Confirm with the Division of Elections or /engage ahead of the 2027 cycle.

Where to go