Candidates

Statewide Candidate Filing for the 2026 Primary Election

2026 Primary Election Date

Candidate Filing Forms

Any person seeking to become a candidate must file a notice of candidacy form. We are currently updating the forms, which will be posted as soon as they are available.

• Notice of Candidacy (non-fillable PDF) 
• Notice of Candidacy (fillable PDF) 
• Statement of Organization
  •      Statement of Organization (Form Descriptions/Instructions)
• Certification of Financial Account Information
  •      Certification of Financial Account Information (Form Description/Instructions)
• Certification of Threshold (if you plan to spend less than $1,000) 
                          -OR-  
        Organizational Disclosure Report (if spending more than $1,000)
• Candidate Designation of Committee Funds (Optional)
• Candidate Guide
• Campaign Finance Guide

Political Campaign Signs

Please visit the NC State Board of Elections website for information concerning statewide guidelines for sign placement

Political campaign signs are allowed, on private property and in the right-of-way of state-maintained roads, in all districts subject to the following standards:

• Signs may be located on private property with prior permission of the owner.
• Signs may only be erected during the period 30 days before the beginning date of Early Voting.
• Signs shall be removed within ten calendar days following election.
• No sign shall be permitted in the right-of-way of a fully controlled access highway (a highway with no at-grade crossings and access only at limited public roads. 
• No sign located within the right-of-way shall be higher than 42 inches above the edge of the pavement of the road.
• Signs within the right-of-way may not obscure motorist visibility at any intersection.
• No sign shall be larger than six square feet if it is within the right-of-way. When a political campaign sign is erected in place of another sign permitted at that location and outside of the right-of-way then it may be the same size and is subject to the same conditions as the sign it is replacing.
• Signs must be at least three feet from the edge of pavement.
• No sign shall obscure or replace another sign.
• Signs are not allowed in the medians of any roadways.
• The candidate must obtain the prior permission of any property owner of a residence, business or religious institution fronting the right-of-way where a sign would be erected.

NC General Statutes Concerning Signs

• Planned communities (homeowners associations) limiting the right to display political signs on private property GS 47F-3-121
• Political signs allowed on DOT right-of-way (highways) GS 136-32
• Political signs not allowed on electric company fixtures GS 14-154
• Signs are protected from being damaged or taken down GS 14-384
• Size requirement for print advertisements GS 163-278.39(b)
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Campaigns are responsible for the collection and disposal of their signs.

Petition Information

• Petition Fact Sheet