Unaffiliated Candidate Petitions

General Overview

On this page, you will find the procedure to nominate an unaffiliated candidate to appear on the general election ballot, per Unaffiliated candidates nominated by petition (N.C.G.S. § 163-122).

Requirements and Timeline

Find requirements and deadlines below, and refer to Fact Sheet: 2026 Unaffiliated Candidate Petitions (PDF). All state petitions should be submitted to the State Board of Elections unless otherwise noted.

Table: General Requirements for Unaffiliated Candidate Petitions by Reason
Reason for PetitionNumber of Required SignaturesWhen Are Petitions Due?Governing Statute(s)
...in the contest for President of the U.S.1.5% of all registered N.C. voters who voted in the most recent election for N.C. Governor.Noon on the day of the primary election to CBE.N.C.G.S. §163-122(a)(1), N.C.G.S. §163-209
...in the contest for N.C General Assembly if district lies in more than one county.4% of all registered N.C. voters in the district, as of January 1 of the election year.Noon on the day of the primary election to CBE.N.C.G.S. §163-122(a)(1)
...in a statewide contest.1.5% of all registered N.C. voters who voted in the most recent election for N.C. Governor.Noon on the day of the primary election to CBE.N.C.G.S. §163-122(a)(1)
...in a district contest except for N.C. General Assembly.1.5% of all registered N.C. voters in the district, as of January 1 of the election year.Noon on the day of the primary election to CBE.N.C.G.S. §163-122(a)(2)
...in a contest for Superior Court or District Court Judge.2% of all registered N.C. voters in the district, as of January 1 of the election year.Noon on the day of the primary election to CBE.N.C.G.S. §163-122(a)(1)
...in a county contest or single-county legislative district contest.4% of all registered N.C. voters within the county or district, as of January 1 of the election year.Noon on the day of the primary election to CBE.N.C.G.S. §163-122(a)(3)
...in a municipal contest.1.5% of all registered N.C. voters within the municipality.Noon on the Friday preceding the 7th Saturday before the election.N.C.G.S. §163-122(a)(4)

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