Florida State House & Senate Candidate Filing Information

Before You Begin: What You Will Need

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1. Florida Voter Registration
   You must be a registered voter in Florida.

2. Residency Requirements
   You must have resided in Florida for at least two years prior to the election.
   You must reside in the district at the time of the election (not at qualifying).
   Residency Guidelines (PDF)

3. Party Affiliation (for partisan candidates)
   You must be registered with your party for 365 days prior to the beginning of the qualifying period.
   See party affiliation rules

4. Campaign Bank Account
   Open a campaign depository account with a bank authorized to operate in Florida.

5. Basic Documents to Complete

   • DS-DE 9: Appointment of Campaign Treasurer and Designation of Campaign Depository
     Download Form DS-DE 9

   • DS-DE 301A: Candidate Oath – State and Local Partisan Office
     Download Form DS-DE 301A

   • Form 6: Full and Public Disclosure of Financial Interests
     Download Form 6

6. Qualifying Fee OR Petition Signatures

   • Qualify by fee:
     • Party Affiliation: 6% of the annual salary for the office you are seeking (House or Senate)
     • No Party Affiliation: 4% of the annual salary
     Contact your local Supervisor of Elections or the Division of Elections to confirm the current salary and calculate your fee.

   • OR qualify by collecting valid petition signatures equal to 1% of registered voters in your district.
      

Filing Steps for Florida State House or Senate Candidates

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Step 1: File Form DS-DE 9
Submit the Appointment of Campaign Treasurer and Designation of Campaign Depository.
This must be filed before collecting contributions or making expenditures.
File DS-DE 9

Step 2: Open Campaign Bank Account
Open a campaign depository account in your candidate name using your EIN (if applicable).

Step 3: Collect Petition Signatures (optional)
Instead of paying a qualifying fee, you may qualify by petition.
Petitions must be submitted to the Supervisor of Elections in your district by the deadline.

See 2024 Petition Guidelines

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Step 4: Prepare Qualifying Forms

• DS-DE 301A (Candidate Oath)

• Form 6 (Financial Disclosure)

• Campaign check for qualifying fee (unless qualifying by petition)

Step 5: Submit Qualifying Documents
Submit all documents during qualifying week: Noon, June 10, 2024 to Noon, June 14, 2024
The Division of Elections will begin accepting documents on May 27, 2024
Documents may be mailed or delivered in person

Step 6: Begin Filing Campaign Finance Reports
All candidates are required to report contributions and expenditures electronically.

Access the Electronic Filing System (EFS)

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Official Resources

• Division of Elections – Candidate Information

• Candidate and Campaign Treasurer Handbook

• State Qualifying Handbook

For help, contact the Florida Division of Elections at (850) 245-6280 or visit https://dos.myflorida.com/elections

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