- Home
- Departments
- Election Services
- Candidate & Campaign Resources
- Even-Year Elections (2024, 2026, etc)
Even-Year Elections (2024, 2026, etc.)
How do I run for Primary Elections?
The Major Political Parties hold Primary Elections in June of even-numbered years to select their candidates for the General Election in November. You must be registered with a party, file an Affidavit of Candidacy, and collect signatures on Nomination Petitions to run in a Primary Election.
Turn in paperwork to the following places for Partisan Primary Elections:
| If you want to run for... | File paperwork with... |
|---|---|
| Federal Office (U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative) | Secretary of State's Office |
| State Senate or State Representative | Secretary of State's Office |
| State-wide Office (Governor, Secretary of State, etc.) | Secretary of State's Office |
| County Office (Supervisor, Auditor, etc.) | County Auditor's Office |
Use the following blank forms to file to run in Partisan Primary Elections:
Use the following links for more information:
- Secretary of State's Candidate's Guide for Primary Elections (PDF)
- Linn County Primary Supplemental Candidate Packet (PDF)
How do I run for General Elections?
You are automatically put on the ballot for the General Election in November if you win the Primary Election for one of the major Political Parties.
If you want to run with a Non-Political Party Organization (Libertarian, Green, etc.), your organization must hold a nominating convention and you need to file an Affidavit of Candidacy and paperwork from the Convention to run. File an Affidavit of Candidacy and collect signatures on Nomination Petitions to run as a non-partisan in a partisan office.
File an Affidavit of Candidacy and collect signatures on Nomination Petitions to run for a non-partisan office in the General Election (Soil & Water Conservation, County Ag. Extension, etc.).
File an Affidavit of Candidacy to run for a Township Trustee or Township Clerk position.
All candidates must file an Affidavit of Candidacy to run for office.
You also need to do the following depending on the type of office you're running for:
| If you're running for... | And your party is... | And you... | Then you file an Affidavit of Candidacy and also... |
|---|---|---|---|
| A partisan office (Federal, State, or County) | One of the Major Parties (Republican, Democrat) | Won the Primary Election | Don't have to do anything else |
| A partisan office (Federal, State, or County) | One of the Major Parties | Didn't run in the Primary Election | File nomination papers from a special convention or with signatures |
| A partisan office (Federal, State, or County) | A Non-Political Party Organization (NPPO) | Hold a special convention and file convention paperwork. | |
| A partisan office (Federal, State, or County) | Non-partisan (No Party) | File nomination papers with signatures of other voters | |
| A non-partisan County-wide office (Soil & Water, Ag Extension, etc.) | Doesn't matter | File nomination papers with signatures of other voters | |
| A non-partisan township (Clerk or Trustee) | Doesn't matter | Nothing additional |
Turn in paperwork for General Elections:
Turn in paperwork to the following places to for General Elections:
| If you want to run for... | File paperwork with... |
|---|---|
| Federal Office (U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative) | Secretary of State's Office |
| State Senate or State Representative | Secretary of State's Office |
| State-wide Office (Governor, Secretary of State, etc.) | Secretary of State's Office |
| County Office (Supervisor, Auditor, etc.) | County Auditor's Office |
| Non-partisan County Office (Soil & Water, Ag. Extension, Trustee, etc.) |
Use the following blank forms to file to run in General Elections:
- Affidavit of Candidacy (PDF)
- Nomination Petition for Partisan Offices (PDF)
- Nomination Petition for Non-Partisan Offices (PDF)
Use the following links for more information: