Signature requirements and deadlines for 2021 state government elections

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Candidates for elective office must often file petition signatures or pay filing fees in order to have their names printed on the ballot. Candidates must submit these petitions, and any other required paperwork or filing fees (sums of money paid, either to the state or to a political party), by fixed deadlines. These requirements and deadlines, which are referred to collectively as ballot access rules, vary between offices and from state to state. This article outlines signature requirements and filing deadlines for gubernatorial and state legislative candidates in the 2021 election cycle.

• Click here for information about ballot measure petition deadlines and signature requirements in 2021.
• For information about changes to ballot access rules in the 2021 election cycle, click here.
• Click here for information about state government elections in 2021.

Filing deadlines and primary election dates

The following table lists filing deadlines and primary dates for state elections in 2021:

Primary dates and filing deadlines, 2021
State	Filing deadline for primary candidates	Primary date	Primary runoff date
Wisconsin	1/5/2021	2/16/2021	N/A
Louisiana	1/22/2021	3/20/2021	N/A
Pennsylvania	3/9/2021	5/18/2021	N/A
New Jersey	4/5/2021	6/8/2021	N/A
Virginia	3/25/2021	6/8/2021	N/A
Washington	5/21/2021	8/3/2021	N/A

Signature requirements, filing fees, and filing deadlines, 2021

The table below outlines petition requirements, filing fees, and filing deadlines for gubernatorial and state legislative elections in 2021.

Filing requirements for gubernatorial candidates, 2021
State	Office	Party	Signatures required	Signature formula	Filing fee	Filing fee formula	Filing deadline	Source
New Jersey	Governor	Democratic	1,000	Fixed number	N/A	N/A	4/5/2021	Source
New Jersey	Governor	Republican	1,000	Fixed number	N/A	N/A	4/5/2021	Source
New Jersey	Governor	Unaffiliated	800	Fixed number	N/A	N/A	6/8/2021	Source
Virginia	Governor	Democratic	2,000 signatures, including at least 50 valid signatures from each congressional district	Fixed number	$3,500.00	2% of annual salary	3/25/2021	Source
Virginia	Governor	Republican	2,000 signatures, including at least 50 valid signatures from each congressional district	Fixed number	$3,500.00	2% of annual salary	3/25/2021	Source
Virginia	Governor	Unaffiliated	2,000 signatures, including at least 50 valid signatures from each congressional district	Fixed number	N/A	N/A	6/8/2021	Source

Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2021
Chamber name	Party	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source
New Jersey General Assembly	Democratic	100	N/A	4/5/2021	Source
New Jersey General Assembly	Republican	100	N/A	4/5/2021	Source
New Jersey General Assembly	Unaffiliated	100	N/A	6/8/2021	Source
New Jersey State Senate	Democratic	100	N/A	4/5/2021	Source
New Jersey State Senate	Republican	100	N/A	4/5/2021	Source
New Jersey State Senate	Unaffiliated	100	N/A	6/8/2021	Source
Virginia House of Delegates	Democratic	125	$352.80	3/25/2021	Source
Virginia House of Delegates	Republican	125	$352.80	3/25/2021	Source
Virginia House of Delegates	Unaffiliated	125	N/A	6/8/2021	Source

See also

• Elections
• Ballot access for major and minor party candidates
• State executive official elections, 2021
• State legislative elections, 2021
• State judicial elections, 2021
• 2021 elections calendar
• Election results, 2021