Candidate Information
Candidates for office must
meet certain qualifications and are required to file specific
documents in order to qualify to appear on the ballot. These
qualifications and requirements may vary slightly depending
on whether the office sought is a local office, a general
assembly seat, a statewide office, or a federal office. Generally,
all candidates must meet the following minimum qualifications:
(1) A candidate must be qualified
to vote for and to hold the office being sought.
(2) A candidate must have been a resident of the Commonwealth
of Virginia for at least one year immediately preceding the
election.
Citizens who are interested
in running for state or local offices in Virginia, should
start by downloading the appropriate Candidate
Information Bulletin from the State Board of Elections
web site to get information about qualifications for a particular
office, filing requirements and deadlines, where to file the
required
forms and documents and other information about running
for a particular office. All candidates for office must also
comply with state laws regarding campaign
finance and advertising.
Candidate Information, Forms
and Reports may also be obtained by contacting:
Virginia State Board of Elections
(http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/)
200 North 9th St., Room 101
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: (804) 786-6551
Toll-free in Virginia: (800) 552-9745
Fax: (804) 371-0194
Fairfax County residents needing
forms and/or assistance may contact:
The Office of Elections
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 323
Fairfax, VA 22035-0081
General Registrar phone: (703) 222-0776
General Registrar fax: (703) 324-2205
General Registrar e-mail: voting@fairfaxcounty.gov
Electoral Board phone: (703) 324-4735
Electoral Board fax: (703) 324-4706
Electoral Board e-mail: elect@fairfaxcounty.gov
Political
Signs
Fairfax County candidates who
wish to post political signs must comply with local ordinance,
Chapter 9.5 of Title 24.2, Code
of Virginia, and Virginia Department of Transportation
(VDOT) regulations.
To obtain information or to
submit an application for a Fairfax County sign
permit contact:
Department of Planning and
Zoning (http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpz/)
Zoning Enforcement Branch
12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 829
Fairfax, VA 22035
Phone: (703) 324-1300
For information and restrictions
in the Town of Herndon,
call (703) 787-7380.
For information and permits
in the Town of Vienna,
call (703) 255-6341.
Party
Candidates
Fairfax County residents who
are seeking to be a nominee of either the Democratic or Republican
Party should contact the local committee for party regulations
and activities.
The Fairfax County Democratic
Committee (http://www.fairfaxdemocrats.org)
2815 Hartland Rd
Falls Church, VA 22043
Phone: (703) 573-6811
Fax: (703) 560-7004
The Fairfax County Republican
Committee
(http://fairfaxgop.org/)
Fairfax County Republican Committee
4246 Chain Bridge Road
Fairfax, VA 22030
(703) 766-4467
Fax: (703) 766-2404
Independent
Candidates
The filing deadline for independent
candidates for offices elected in November is 7:00 p.m. on
the second Tuesday in June.
Candidates for School Board
and the Soil and Water Conservation District run as independents
and, therefore, are not nominated by primary elections.
Petitions
Petitions require a minimum
number of certified voters.
| Office |
Number of signatures |
| State Senate |
250 |
| House of Delegates |
125 |
| Board of Supervisors |
125 |
| School Board |
125 |
| Soil and Water Commission |
25 |
| Clerk of Court |
125 |
| Sheriff |
125 |
| Commonwealth's Attorney |
125 |
For further information and forms,
go to (http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/).
Filing
Fees
If a political party has adopted
a primary election for a particular contest/district, candidates
must pay a filing fee that is 2% of the minimum annual salary
for the office sought in effect for the year in which the
candidate files. (Code
of Virginia, §24.2-523) The filling fee is paid to
the Financial Officer of the jurisdiction in which the candidate
resides.
(Code
of Virginia, §24.2-524)
2007 Primary Election
Filing Fees
for Fairfax County Candidates
| Office Sought |
Base Salary |
Filing Fee |
| Virginia Senate |
$18,000
|
$360.00
|
| House of Delegates |
$17,640
|
$352.80
|
| Clerk of Court |
$130,910
|
$2,618.20
|
| Commonwealth's Attorney |
$130,656
|
$2,613.12
|
| Sheriff |
$132,979
|
$2,659.58
|
| Board of Supervisors |
$59,000
|
$1,180.00
|
Payment/Filing Deadline: April
13, 2007 - 5:00 p.m.
Notes:
The Constitutional Offices (Clerk of Court, Commonwealth's
Attorney and Sheriff) are shared with the City of Fairfax.
If a candidate lives in the City, he/she pays the fee to the
Treasurer of Fairfax City. If a candidate lives in the County,
he/she pays the fee to the Fairfax County Director of Finance.
Candidates for School Board
and Soil and Water Conservation Directors run as independents
and, therefore, are not nominated by primary elections.
Candidates who are nominated
by a political party by a method other than a primary election,
such as a convention, caucus or canvass (sometimes called
a "firehouse primary"), may also be required to
pay a filing fee. This fee is determined by the rules of the
political party and paid to the appropriate party or district
committee. Candidates should contact the political party chairman
for further information.
