Candidate Qualifying

Pursuant to 99.061, Florida Statutes, Federal, Judicial, State Attorney and Public Defender candidates must file their qualifying papers with their qualifying officer any time between

Noon, April 20, 2026 - Noon, April 24, 2026

Pursuant to 99.061, Florida Statutes, Statewide, Multicounty (except State Attorney and Public Defender), County and Special District candidates must file their qualifying papers with their qualifying officer any time between

Noon, June 8, 2026 - Noon, June 12, 2026

Qualifying papers will be accepted in the Dade City, New Port Richey, and Land O' Lakes offices any time during the qualifying period. If you wish to qualify by mail, you may forward your completed papers to:

HONORABLE BRIAN E. CORLEY

Supervisor of Elections

P.O. Box 300

Dade City, FL 33526-0300

No qualifying papers will be accepted after the 12:00 Noon deadline.

Law requires that a candidate file the following:

State and Local Partisan Office Candidate Oath – Form DS-DE 301A, or Form DS-DE 301B, or Form DS-DE 301C

OR

Candidate Oath - Nonpartisan Office Form DS-DE 302NP

OR

Candidate Oath - Judicial Office Form DS-DE303JU

OR

Candidate Oath - School Board Nonpartisan Office Form DS-DE 304SB 

AND

NOTE: THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORMS MUST BE COMPLETED ELECTRONICALLY. YOU MUST COMPLETE THIS ONLINE PRIOR TO QUALIFYING!

2025 Full and Public Disclosure of Financial Interests CE Form 6 

OR

2025 Statement of Financial Interests  (Special District offices only) CE Form 1

* 2025 Forms will be available  in January 2026

AND

Appointment of Campaign Treasurer and Designation of Campaign Depository Form DS-DE 9 * (However, you may have already filed this form with the Supervisor of Elections).

AND

Statement of Candidate Form DS-DE 84; Judicial Candidates file both the Form DS-DE 83 and Form DS-DE 84 (However, you may have already filed these forms with the Supervisor of Elections).*

* Excluding Special District candidates who do not intend to collect or expend campaign funds. An Affidavit of Intention must be submitted if a Special District Candidate chooses this option.

Legislation passed by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Governor DeSantis establishes new requirements for candidates who wish to change their party affiliation to run for a partisan office.

Previous law required candidates seeking to qualify for nomination as a candidate of a political party to affirm in writing, under oath, that they have not been a registered member of any other political party in the 365 days before candidate qualifying begins. However, it did not prohibit a registered member of a political party to qualify to run with No Party Affiliation (NPA), regardless of the 365-day period. Nor did it prohibit a person registered with No Party Affiliation (NPA) from changing their party affiliation within the 365-day period to qualify for nomination as a candidate of a political.

Under the new law, at qualifying all candidates for a partisan office will be required to affirm in writing, under oath, that they have been a registered member of the party whose nomination as a candidate they are seeking for 365 days before qualifying begins. In addition, candidates who wish to run with No Party Affiliation (NPA) for a partisan office will be required to affirm in writing, under oath, that they have not been a registered member of any political party for 365 days before qualifying begins.

These requirements apply to partisan offices only, and do not apply to non-partisan offices. Qualifying for state and local offices begins on June 8, 2026. The 365-day deadline for candidates to change party affiliation is June 8, 2025. Any person who wishes to change their party affiliation may do so using a Florida Voter Registration Application or through RegistertoVoteFlorida.gov.

Pursuant to 99.095, Florida Statutes, a person seeking to qualify for nomination to any office may qualify to have their name placed on the ballot for the primary by means of the petitioning process. There is a $0.10 verification fee per petition submitted.

However, NO petition may be circulated prior to filing the Appointment of Campaign Treasurer and Designation of Campaign Depository (Form DS-DE 9)! Any petition signed prior to the filing of said form will not be accepted.

• A copy of the petition may be obtained from the Division of Elections website. The candidate is responsible for reproduction of the petition Form DS-DE 104. You must obtain valid signatures equal to at least one percent (1%) of the total number of Pasco County registered voters. (The registration statistics used in computing the requisite number of signatures are those for the 2024 General Election).
• Special District candidates need 25 valid signatures to qualify by petition method.
• If you are qualifying by the petition process, the number of valid signatures you must secure is 4,011.
• The signed petitions must be submitted to the Supervisor of Elections prior to 12:00 Noon on May 11, 2026, for verification. (Noon, March 23, 2026 for Federal, Judicial, State Attorney,and Public Defender)
• The Supervisor of Elections will notify you, in writing, whether the required number of signatures has been obtained prior to the first day of qualifying.
• The Supervisor of Elections will retain a copy of your certification as part of your qualifying requirements.
• You will not be required to pay the qualifying fee or party assessment and will be entitled to have your name printed on the ballot.
• Additionally, you may file an Undue Burden Oath with the Supervisor of Elections exempting you from paying the ten cents ($.10) per name checked. This oath must be filed with the Supervisor of Elections at the time petitions are submitted for verification. The form used will be the Affidavit of Undue Burden. Note: If the candidate is running for an office which will be grouped on the ballot with two or more similar offices to be filled at the same election and the petition does not indicate the group or district office for which they are running, the signatures obtained on the petition will not be counted.

Yes, the Florida Statutes provide in Chapter 99.0955(1), that any registered elector may have their name placed on the general election ballot as a candidate with no party affiliation.

• You shall file qualification papers and pay the qualifying fee or qualify by the petition process during the times and under the circumstances prescribed in 99.061, Florida Statutes.
• You shall subscribe to a candidate oath, in writing, that you are registered without party affiliation and that you have not been a registered member of any political party for 365 days prior to the beginning of qualifying (Sunday, June 8, 2025).