General Rules:
To be considered eligible, you must be a registered independent or minority party member as of April 19th, 2010 (the close of voter registration before the primary election). In addition, certain offices have specific eligibility guidelines. View the “Qualification Requirements to Run for Public Office” guide from the Department of State.
Candidates who were on the ballot for the May 18, 2010 primary election are not permitted to run as Independents in the November 2, 2010 General Election. In addition, any candidate running for office must follow Pennsylvania’s Campaign Finance Reporting Law. Click here for details.
Nomination Papers:
Candidates must circulate nomination papers to collect signatures of certified electors, or simply, registered voters. A certain political affiliation is not required to sign the nomination papers, but all voter information must be correct, including name and address. For Congressional and State General Assembly races, the voters must be registered in the district of the race.
For the November 2, 2010 General Election, the first day to circulate nomination papers is March 10th 2010, the last day to circulate and file nomination papers is August 2, 2010. Signatures collected before March 10th or after August 2nd will not be accepted.
Click here for the Department of States 2010 Election Calendar.
On the nomination papers, you will need to declare your political body, our guide How To Run for Elected Office, explains the difference between a political body and a political party and what you need to know.
Approximate Signature Requirements:
The number of candidate signatures an independent candidate should have is computed by taking 2% of the voter turnout from the previous election where someone would have been elected (for November 2010 they will use the 2008 General Election returns).
The specific number of signatures will be given to you by the Department of State or your county board of elections, and the Department of State advises not to base your signature count on the unofficial returns.
Statewide candidates:
19,082 Total signatures
U.S. Congressional candidates:
District 1: 4,856
District 2: 5,538
District 6: 3,589
District 7: 4,200
District 8: 3,958
District 13: 3,938
Click here for a complete list.
Ready to go?
After you review the Department of State resources and you feel confident in your decision get started! Click here for the nomination paper forms.
Best of luck!
Information on this page was obtained through the Pennsylvania Department of State; please contact them with specific questions regarding Pennsylvania election law and nomination requirements.
This page is intended to give an overview of the process for running as an independent. It should not be considered legal advice. Committee of Seventy is a non-partisan non-profit organization, and we do not endorse candidates. For information about our mission, click here.