Booths await voters at the Pennington County Administration Building during early voting on January 19, 2026, for the municipal election in Rapid City, South Dakota. (Photo: Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight)
Pennsylvanians may unexpectedly knock on doors or see hopeful activists collecting signatures over the next three weeks.
That’s because Tuesday marked the start of the nomination filing period for potential primary candidates in the commonwealth.
Candidates who want to take part in the vote on May 19 must collect hundreds or thousands of signatures from potential voters, depending on the office they are looking for.
A candidate for governor would need 2,000 signatures, including at least 100 from ten separate counties. A candidate for lieutenant governor is required to collect 1,000, including at least 100 from five counties. A candidate for Congress would need to raise 1,000. A candidate for the General Assembly would need 300.
Applicants must also pay a fee ranging from $25 to $200, depending on the office they are looking for.
The last day to mail and submit your nomination petition will be in less than three weeks, on Tuesday, March 10. Some campaigns claim to have already collected the required number of signatures.
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Once the petition is submitted, complaints against them can be filed until March 17. State Representative Chris Rabb (Philadelphia), For examplehe has already filed to run for federal office in the 3rd Congressional District. The position is currently held by Democrat Dwight Evans, who has announced that he will not seek re-election.
Rep. Ben Waxman (Philadelphia) issued note last week, he was looking for co-sponsors of a bill that would lower the bar on requirements for candidates running for office. His proposed regulations, which have not yet been introduced, would eliminate application fees and lower signature requirements. He says such a move would mean: “will make running for office more accessible to potential candidates and boost ballot diversity for voters.”
