Candidate Filing
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Filing for Office in 2026
Federal & Statewide Offices
2026 Primary Election Filing Period: February 23-27, 2026
Federal Offices:
- United States Senator
- United States Representative
Statewide Offices:
- Governor
- Lieutenant Governor
- Secretary of State
- State Controller
- State Treasurer
- Attorney General
- Superintendent of Public Instruction
Partisan Candidates
Candidates for partisan office may begin to submit their Declarations of Candidacy starting February 23,2026. For information about offices, qualifications, and filing requirements, visit How to Run for Office.
Independent Candidates
If you are planning to run as an independent candidate and wish to appear on the November 2026 General Election ballot, please note that you are required to file by petition.
The petition forms for independent candidates are available below. Be sure to review all instructions carefully and meet the signature requirements and deadlines outlined in Idaho law.
- Federal Independent Candidate Petition Form [PDF]
- Statewide Independent Candidate Petition Form聽[PDF]
Please contact our office before starting your petition for candidacy so we can set it up in our system. This ensures that county officials can review your petition signatures properly.
County & District Offices
2026 Primary Election Filing Period: March 2-13, 2026
County Offices:
- Assessor
- Clerk
- Commissioner
- Coroner
- Prosecuting Attorney*
- Sheriff*
- Treasurer
Local Offices:
- Community College
- Soil Conservation Districts
- Highway District
- Precinct Committeeman
Partisan & Independent Candidates
Candidates for partisan office may begin to submit their Declarations of Candidacy starting March 2,2026. For information about offices, qualifications, and filing requirements, visit How to Run for Office.
Declaration of Candidacy Forms will be available soon.
Write-In Candidates
Write-In candidates must file a Declaration of Intent with the corresponding office before 5:00 p.m. on the filing deadline for the election in which they are running.
Primary Election Filing Deadlines:
- March 6, 2026 (Federal & Statewide Offices)
- March 20, 2026 (County & Local Offices)
General Election Filing Deadline: September 4, 2026
Write-In Declaration of Intent forms will be available here soon.
Withdrawing as a Candidate
Candidates may withdraw their candidacy by submitting the Withdrawal of Candidacy Form before the withdrawal deadline.
Primary Election Withdrawal Deadlines:
- March 6, 2026 (Federal & Statewide Offices)
- March 20, 2026 (County & Local Offices)
General Election Withdrawal Deadline: September 4, 2026
More Information
Looking for current officeholders?
Find more local-level candidate filing information with the county elections office.
Learn more about running for office.