Voters across North Carolina soon will learn the candidates who will vie for their votes in 2026.
Candidate filing for most contests in the 2026 elections begins at noon on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, and ends at noon on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025.
Depending on the office sought, candidates will file their Notice of Candidacy and pay their filing fees either at their county board of elections office or with the State Board of Elections at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. (See below for detailed information.)
“We applaud all candidates who choose to engage in the democratic process and decide to run,” said State Board of Elections Executive Director Sam Hayes. “We are hopeful and ready for a smooth and easy to follow process for all candidates. We are committed to providing an efficient and safe environment for everyone.”
The 2026 primary election is March 3. The general election is Nov. 3.
For Candidates
Before filing, candidates should review the Filing for Candidacy page at ncsbe.gov for information such as candidacy requirements, filing fees and more. Candidates may also review our candidates guide to the 2026 elections in PDF form.
Candidates for the following offices file to run for office in the Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. Administration Building (Horse Complex) at the State Fairgrounds, located at 4601 Trinity Road (Gate H3), Raleigh, N.C. 27607
- U.S. Senate
- U.S. House of Representatives
- Associate Justice, State Supreme Court
- Judges, State Court of Appeals
- Judges, Superior Court
- Judges, District Court
- District Attorneys
The Hunt Building will be open for filing during the following days and times:
- Noon to 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1
- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 2–5
- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 8–12
- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 15-18
- 8 a.m. to noon Friday, Dec. 19
Candidates, guests, and members of the media should enter the Fairgrounds through Gate 9 on Trinity Road (see map below).
For information on filing fees, see Filing Fees. Fees must be paid by cashier check, campaign check, personal check, or money order.
Cash and credit cards are not accepted.
Candidates should also review when and how to appoint a treasurer and organize their candidate committee. Candidates should review the Candidate Committees page at ncsbe.gov.
Once filed, the deadline to withdraw a notice of candidacy is Dec. 16, 2025.
Candidates for N.C. House, N.C. Senate, and local offices file with their respective county board of elections. Prospective candidates for these offices who have questions about the process should contact their county board of elections.
The State and county boards of elections cannot accept candidate filings via surrogate. During the upcoming candidate filing period the boards of elections will only accept notices of candidacy that are signed and submitted in person by the candidate, or which are certified and delivered via mail or commercial courier service, per N.C.G.S. § 163-106(a).
In the past, some candidates have attempted to rely on surrogates, including staff members, to submit their notices of candidacy during the candidate filing period. This practice is not permitted in the General Statutes, and such filings will not be accepted by the boards of elections.
General Statute section 163-106(a) provides as follows:
Each candidate shall sign the notice of candidacy in the presence of the chairman or secretary of the board of elections, State, or county, with which the candidate files. In the alternative, a candidate may have the candidate’s signature on the notice of candidacy acknowledged and certified to by an officer authorized to take acknowledgments and administer oaths, in which case the candidate may mail or deliver by commercial courier service the candidate’s notice of candidacy to the appropriate board of elections.
Prospective candidates for offices that file with the State Board of Elections who have questions about the process should email the State Board of Elections at elections.sboe@ncsbe.gov or call (919) 814-0700.
For Media
Candidate filing is a public process, and members of the media are welcome to attend. Those who wish to cover candidates as they file at the Fairgrounds should contact Jason Tyson, Director of External Affairs at Jason.tyson@ncsbe.gov.
Media representatives should contact the county board of elections office about local filing.
Throughout the filing period, statewide candidate lists will be posted to the State Board website at Candidate Lists. These lists will be updated routinely every day of the filing period.