Qualifications

Qualifications for office: Legislative, county & Wilmington Office Age State Residency Jurisdiction Residency Cite State Senator 27 3 years 1 year Art. II, §3 State Constitution State Representative 24 3 years 1 year Art. II, §3 State Constitution County Executive 27 5 years 9 Del. C. §1112 President of County Council 24 Live in County 9 Del. C. §1142, §1145 County Council 24 Live in District 9 Del. C. §1142 Clerk of the Peace 1 year Art. III, §11 State Constitution Recorder of Deeds 1 year Art. III, §11 State Constitution Register of Wills 1 year Art. III, §11 State Constitution Sheriff 1 year Art. III, §11 State Constitution Mayor (Wilmington) 30 2 years Sec. 3-300 Wilmington Charter City Treasurer (Wilmington) 2 years Sec. 2-103 Wilmington Charter President of City Council (Wilmington) 25 1 year Sec. 2-103 Wilmington Charter City Council (Wilmington) 25 1 year Sec. 2-103 Wilmington Charter

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How can I get on the ballot?

When a deadline is a Saturday, Sunday or Holiday, the deadline is the next business day.

Candidates for statewide offices file/submit forms, documents, etc. to the State Election Commissioner.

File as a Democrat or Republican

Fill out a Candidate Filing Form.

Submit the form and a check for the filing fee to the Department.

Make the check payable to the right county or city committee. Democratic General Assembly & County Offices: New Castle County Democratic Committee Republican General Assembly & County Offices: New Castle County Republican Committee Democratic City candidates: Democratic City Committee Republican City candidates: New Castle County Republican Committee

File on or before 12 Noon on the 2nd Tuesday in July.

You can withdraw by 4:30 p.m. the Friday after the deadline and get your filing fee back.

If two or more people file for the same office in the same party, there will be a Primary.

Get more information from the Delaware Code.

Candidate withdrawal form.

Be nominated by the Democratic or Republican Party

A party can nominate a candidate for an office if no one filed as a candidate for that party. The party shall use the Party Certificate of Nomination.

Nominations must be delivered to the Department on or before 4:30 p.m. on September 1.

In the event that a party is nominating a person in with a different party affiliation, the party shall submit the form authorizing the change along with the nomination form.

Get more information about major political party nominations.

Be nominated by a minor political party.

A minor political party that qualifies may nominate a candidate for an office. The party must nominate candidates at their nominating convention held on or before August 1 and submit the required forms no later than 10 business days following the convention. The party must submit the nomination certified by the Party Chair and Secretary to the Department on or before September 1. In the event that a party is nominating a person in with a different party affiliation, the party shall submit the form authorizing the change along with the nomination form.

Get more information about minor political party nominations.

Run as an unaffiliated candidate.

Certify that you haven't been active with a political party for the past three months.

Collect signatures on petitions equal to at least 1% of the registered voters in the jurisdiction.

Collect signatures between January 1 and July 15 in the year of the election.

Submit the certification, petitions and a Candidate Filing Form to the Department on or before September 1.

Get more information about running as an unaffiliated candidate.

Run as a declared write-in candidate.

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What are the filing fees?

County and city committees set filing fees on or before July 1 in an election year.

The fees cannot be more that 1% of the total salary for the term of the office.

People cannot file until filing fees have been set.

2018 Filing Fees have not been set

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What about campaign finance?

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How do I file as an indigent?

What about the Hatch Act?

The Hatch Act restricts the political activity of federal executive branch employees.

Local and state workers involved in federally funded programs may also be restricted.

The Hatch Act is enforced by the U. S. Office of Special Counsel.

Get information about the Hatch Act.

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Where can I get voter information?

Order a CD or paper lists from the Department.

Most CDs and lists are free to filed candidates.

Get Registration Counts on this site.

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What happens on Election Day?

Election Officers begin set up at 6 a.m.

Anyone wearing or displaying anything about a candidate, party or the election will be told to leave.

Election Officers, Challengers, voters and Department staff are the only people who can be in the Polling Place.

Members of the media cannot accompany candidates or voters into the polling place.

The Election Officers open the polls at 7 a.m.

Voters are processed and vote.

The polls close at 8 p.m.

The Election Officers close the voting machines, send the cartridges to a Zone, and post a copy of the results from each machine.

The Election Officers finish their work and go home.

Unofficial results on the State Election Commissioner's Web Page.

When are the results official?

The Board of Elections certifies the results of a Primary Election at 7 p.m. the Thursday after the election.

Candidates may present objections or disputes to the Board at 7 p.m.

Superior Court sitting as the Board of Canvass convenes to determine the official results of a General Election at 10 a.m. the Thursday after the election.

Candidates may present objections or disputes to the Board at 10 a.m.

The Board of Elections certifies the results of City of Wilmington elections at its meeting the week after the election.

Candidates may present objections or disputes to the Board at the start of the meeting as posted on the agenda.

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What about challengers?

In a Primary, each candidate on the ballot may have one challenger at a Polling Place.

In a General Election, each party on the ballot may have one challenger at a Polling Place.

Challengers must give the Inspector a written authorization. In a Primary, the candidate signs the authorization. In a General Election, the party chair signs the authorization.

Challengers must wear the badge that the Inspector gives to them.

A Challenger may be replaced by another authorized challenger.

The changeover of Challengers should be quick and not cause disruption.

Election Officers should treat Challengers with dignity and respect.

Challengers should treat Election Officers with dignity and respect.

Challengers can watch the setting up and closing of the machines and Polling Place.

Challengers can watch the Election Officer process voters.

Challengers can look at the election records, but not delay or disrupt operations.

Challengers may challenge voters for identity, address or bribery.

Challengers may keep records of what they observe.

Challengers may use a computer and/or texting device as long as the devices do not make noise.

Challengers can look at the back of the voting machine under the supervision of the Inspector.

Challengers can not wear or display anything that mentions a candidate, party or the election.

Challengers can not talk on a cell phone nor take pictures of voters or documents.

Challengers must leave the Poling Place to make or take calls.

Challengers must put their cell phones on vibrate so they do not make noise.

Challengers can not interfere with Polling Place activities nor talk to voters.

Challengers must pay attention so that they do not miss the names of people who are voting.

Challengers can not ask Election Officers to keep track of voters for them.

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Where can I put campaign signs?

See the Department's Resource Guide for Political Campaign Signs... for more information.

Summary of DELDOT's Clear Zone policy and a poster that shows where campaign signs may be posted.

New Castle County, the City of Wilmington, other municipalities and communities may have rules and regulations regarding campaign signs.

If you don't follow the rules, candidates and/or campaigns can be fined, and signs may be removed and destroyed.

Ask owners before putting campaign signs on their property. Candidates do not have a right to put signs on private property, school property, etc.

Remove signs promptly after an election.

At polling places, remove signs after the polls close on Election Night and clean up trash.

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