Running for office in Ohio

This page covers what's specific to Ohio. Start with the general guide for the steps every candidate follows regardless of state.

Filing in Ohio

Ohio splits filing by geography. If the office spans the whole state or a multi-county district, you file with the Ohio Secretary of State's Elections Division in Columbus. If it's local, meaning voted on entirely within one county or a smaller area like a city, village, township, or council ward, you file with that county's board of elections instead. City council, mayor, township trustee, and county-level offices all fall in the local bucket.

Filing means submitting a declaration of candidacy and a nominating petition together as one packet, signed by you before circulation, plus a filing fee paid at submission. Nonpartisan municipal candidates need at least 50 qualified elector signatures, a floor that applies whether the municipality has a few thousand residents or many more, and the same 50-signature minimum covers ward-level city council races. Partisan candidates for other offices follow separate signature schedules tied to the specific office.

Deadlines and numbers

• 2026 primary filing deadline: 4 p.m., February 4, 2026 (90 days before the May 5, 2026 primary)
• 2026 general-only filing deadline: 4 p.m., August 5, 2026 (for candidates appearing only on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot)
• Nonpartisan municipal petition signatures: minimum 50 qualified elector signatures
• Filing fee: required at time of filing, amount varies by office under Ohio Revised Code 3513.10

The dossier could not confirm current dollar filing fees for common local offices like city council, township trustee, or county commissioner for the 2026 cycle. If you need that number now, ask in /engage or call your county board of elections directly.

Where to go

• Ohio Secretary of State, Candidate Requirement Guide 2026: ohiosos.gov/assets/candidate-requirement-guide-2026.pdf
• Ohio Secretary of State, elections division (statewide and multi-county office filing): ohiosos.gov
• Your county board of elections for local office filing (example: Cuyahoga County at boe.cuyahogacounty.gov/candidates)
• Ohio Revised Code sections 3513.05 and 3513.10 at codes.ohio.gov