What are the three qualifications you must have before announcing your candidacy for President of the United States?

An individual running for federal office must register and file financial reports when he or she raises or spends more than $5,000 in contributions or expenditures.

Federal candidates must designate a principal campaign committee. This campaign committee takes in contributions and makes expenditures for the candidate’s campaign. Candidates may designate additional authorized campaign committees to help raise and spend funds, but only a principal campaign committee is required.

In order to appear as a presidential candidate on Washington's ballot for the 2024 General Election, all candidates must comply with the convention process.

Major Political Party Candidates

A major party in Washington State is any political party or organization whose nominees for President and Vice President received at least five percent of the total votes cast at the last (2020) presidential election. In 2024, only the Republican and Democratic parties qualify as major political parties.

A major party’s national convention will determine the official party nominee appearing on the Washington State ballot. Washington State law mandates that the November General Election ballot will only contain the names of the major political parties’ official nominees.

Minor/Independent Candidates

A minor party in Washington State is any political party or organization whose nominees for President and Vice President failed to receive at least five percent of the total votes cast at the last (2020) presidential election.

An independent candidate is not affiliated with a political organization.

Unless seeking nomination by the major parties, Republican or Democrats, use the information and documents provided in the brochure Guide for Minor Party & Independent Candidates. 

To appear on the General Election ballot either as a nominee of a minor party or as an independent candidate, candidates must demonstrate support by Washington State voters through obtaining 1,000 signatures of Washington registered voters. These voters must attend a state convention held in support of the party or candidate. Conventions may only be during a specific period, from the first Saturday in May to the last Saturday in July. The Convention Chair must submit all required documents to the Secretary of State by the first Friday in August.

Write-in Candidates

The final option for any candidate is to have the voter write their name on the line following the last candidate of the race. Candidates must file a declaration of write-in candidacy by 8:00 pm on Election Day. Do not submit before January of 2024.

For more information on the write-in process please visit our write-in candidacy page.

Resources and Documents

Minor Party & Independent Presidential Candidates Guide 

Write-in Declaration of Candidacy for President and Vice President Form 

According to the United States Constitution, a Presidential election is to be held once every fourth year. To be able to run in an election for President one must be 35 years old, a natural born citizen of the United States, and a resident of the United States for at least 14 years. These qualifications are established in Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution.

The process of electing a President and Vice-President begins long before Election Day. Candidates from both major and minor political parties and independent candidates begin to raise money and campaign well in advance of the general presidential election. In order to officially represent a political party, a candidate must be nominated by that party.

The nominating process officially begins with the first state primaries and caucuses, which usually begin in January of the election year. It is at these local events that voters are given their first chance to participate in electing the Nation’s next President.

There are many factors that influence who will ultimately become the candidate for a party. The public’s perception of the candidates is influenced by such things as media reports, public opinion polls, candidate preference surveys, and advertising.

The spring of an election year is characterized by intense campaigning for primaries and caucuses all over the nation. This process reaches its peak at the national conventions of the political parties. Once at the national party conventions, the delegates from the states cast votes for the person who will represent the political party in the November general election. In order to secure a party’s nomination, a candidate must receive a majority of the votes from the delegates. It is not unusual for delegates to vote several times before one candidate secures the majority of the votes and officially becomes that party’s candidate for the election to determine the next President of the United States. The candidate for President then must choose a vice-presidential candidate.

If a President is running for re-election, this nomination process must still be completed. Even if the President does not have any opponents from within his own political party, the national convention will occur. The conventions are extravaganzas, full of pageantry and showmanship. They serve to help jump start the general election campaign for the presidential candidates.