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2012 Quick-Reference Candidate Guide

For a summary of filing deadlines and general requirements for candidate seeking ballot access in the 2012 election cycle, see below or download the 2012 Quick-Reference Candidate Guide (11” x 17” PDF).

For more detailed information on gaining access to the ballot in the District of Columbia, see the 2012 Guide to Candidate Qualification and Ballot Access. For information on candidates seeking access to the ballot, see the current Status of Candidate Filing for the April 3, 2012 Primary Election.

April 3 - Primary Election

Registered voters in the Democratic, Republican and D.C. Statehood Green parties will vote in a Primary Election on April 3, 2012.

Key dates and deadlines (click here for a complete copy of the Official Election Calendar):

November 6 - General Election

The winners of the Primary Election contests will appear on the November 6, 2012 General Election ballot, along with any independent and minor party candidates who qualify for the ballot through the direct access process.

Key dates and deadlines:

Brown Bag Training

The Board’s Voter Services staff conducts training sessions for candidates, proponents of ballot measures, and petition circulators. The training sessions provide an overview of the Board’s guidelines and policies for circulating nominating and ballot measure petitions. The training sessions are held every other Tuesday at 12:15 p.m. We encourage all petition circulators to attend and participate in the sessions. For a list of upcoming training sessions, see the Events section of the Board’s Newsroom.

Candidate Qualifications

Any person seeking election to an elected office, except candidates for President and Vice President, must be a registered voter in the District. We strongly recommend that you contact the Board before picking up a nominating petition to verify that your voter registration is current. The candidate must meet the qualifications for the office as of the date of the General Election.

Offices scheduled to appear on the ballot at the April 3, 2012 Primary Election and the November 6, 2012 General Election, along with signature requirements, are listed below. Each petition signer must be a registered voter at the time of signing the nominating petition.

The Nominating Petition and Affidavits

Nominating petition sheets can be obtained from the Board, in person, beginning 144 days before the election (November 14, 2011 for the Primary Election, and June 15, 2012 for the General Election). Either the candidate or a representative of the candidate may pick up the petition. However, written authorization must be made by the candidate designating a representative to obtain nominating petition sheets on his or her behalf.

The accompanying Declaration of Candidacy must be filed with the Board not later than the deadline for filing the nominating petition. The slate registration form, if applicable, must be filed by 4:45 p.m. on Monday, January 9, 2012.

Office of Campaign Finance

Candidates are also required to file required documents with the Office of Campaign Finance (OCF) within five (5) days of picking up the nominating petition. For specific requirements, please contact OCF at 202-671-0550 or visit its website at www.ocf.dc.gov.

Presidential Preference and Delegates and Alternates to the National Conventions

The Democratic, Republican, and D.C. Statehood Green Parties will make their selections for presidential preference and delegates and alternate delegates to their party’s national convention during the April 3, 2012 Primary Election. All forms submitted to the Board for presidential preference and delegate and alternate delegate selection must follow party rules and must comply with the District’s petition signature requirements. The information in the chart below is based on information from plans submitted to the Board of Elections and Ethics by the major political parties and on the requirements of District law. For more information, contact your political party; additional requirements may apply.

Notes:

• Plans submitted by both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party impose a filing fee for presidential candidates. Filing fees are payable to the political party and cannot be accepted by the Board.
  
• The ballot for each party’s Primary will list the names of the presidential preference candidates. The names of the candidates for delegates and alternates in the Republican Presidential Primary will be listed on a separate reference sheet to be distributed to Republican voters at the polling place. The Democratic Party and the D.C. Statehood Green Party will each conduct a separate delegate selection process.

Additional Contests on the Republican Primary Ballot

Republican National Committeeman and Committeewoman

• Candidates must have been continuously affiliated with the Republican Party for one year prior to filing the nominating petition.
• Candidates may run as individuals or together on a slate.
• Both the name of the candidate and the name of the slate (if any) will appear on the ballot.
• Candidates may appear on only one slate in the election.
• Write-in candidates will be permitted only when there are not sufficient candidates qualified for the office.
• The nominating petition must be accompanied by a notarized Declaration of Candidacy filed by each candidate. Candidates can only have a Board employee notarize the Declaration if they appear in person.
• Voters will have an opportunity to cast a vote for candidates individually.

The District Primary

In addition to the presidential preference and Republican Party offices, the District primary will include the federal office of Delegate to the United States House of Representatives, and the local contests for At-Large Member of the Council, Ward Member of the Council for Wards 2, 4, 7 and 8, U.S. Senator (‘Shadow Senator’) and U.S. Representative (‘Shadow Representative’). To obtain a petition for these offices, the candidate must be registered with either the Democratic, Republican, or D.C. Statehood Green Party, and must meet the other qualifications for office.

The Petition Challenge Period

Nominating petitions will be posted in the Board’s office for a ten-day challenge period during which any registered District voter may challenge the validity of any petition by a written statement signed by the challenger and filed with the Board. The statement must specify concisely the alleged defects in the petition.

The Ballot Lottery

A public drawing will be held following the resolution of all challenges filed in the election to determine the order of the candidates’ name to appear on the ballot. The Board will notify each candidate qualified for ballot access of their name as it will appear on the ballot based on information from the Declaration of Candidacy. The lottery for ballot positions will be held on February 10, 2012 for the Primary Election and September 14, 2012 for the General Election.

Candidate Withdrawals

Candidates may withdraw by filing a notarized affidavit with the Board irrevocably withdrawing their candidacy for the office to which they have been nominated. If the affidavit is filed later than 59 days (February 6, 2012 for the Primary and September 10, 2012 for the General Election) before the election, the name of the candidate may not be excluded from the ballot; however, the Board will place notices at the affected precinct(s) advising the voter of the candidate’s withdrawal from office.

Poll Watchers and Election Observers

Any person wishing to observe the administration of the election at the polling place or at the Board’s Counting Center on Election Day may petition the Board for credentials as an election observer or poll watcher.

New Political Parties in the November 6, 2012 Presidential General Election

A political group wishing to form a new political party in the District of Columbia must file a form with the Board and register with OCF prior to approval of the party name by the Board. Nominating petitions may not be released until the Board has approved the new party name. It is suggested that the application for party name approval be submitted by no later than May 1, 2012 in order to have the party approved by the Board in time for the General Election.

The information in this guide is subject to change. For the latest information, see the Newsroom or follow us on Twitter or Facebook. In the event of a conflict with information contained in this guide, in the Official Election Calendar, or on our website, the laws and regulations of the District of Columbia will apply.

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