How to run in Connecticut, 2028
What it takes to get on Connecticut's 2028 ballot for the U.S. House, U.S. Senate or President, from the state's election office and laws.
U.S. House
Who can run
- At least 25 years old
- A U.S. citizen for at least 7 years
- Living in the state when elected (the Constitution doesn't require living in the district)
Getting on the Connecticut ballot
| Where to file | Connecticut Secretary of the State, Legislative & Elections Administrative Division, 165 Capitol Avenue, Hartford (sots.ballotaccess@ct.gov; P.O. Box 150470, Hartford, CT 06115-0470). Primary petition pages are filed with the registrars of voters of the towns where they were circulated; nominating petition pages with the SOTS or the town clerk of the signers' town. |
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| When | Party primary: second Tuesday in August (C.G.S. 9-423), August 8, 2028. Party-endorsed candidates are chosen at the party's district convention; a candidate who received at least 15% of convention delegate votes files a certificate with the SOTS by 4:00 p.m. on the 14th day after the convention closes. Primary petition forms are available from the 105th day before the primary (April 25, 2028) and petitions are due to town registrars by 4:00 p.m. on the 63rd day before the primary (June 6, 2028) (C.G.S. 9-400, 9-404a). Petitioning (non-party) candidates: in 2026 the SOTS set the deadline at 4:00 p.m. on the 90th day before the election for town clerks (August 5, 2026) and one week earlier for filing directly with the SOTS (July 29, 2026); the same intervals before November 7, 2028 give August 9, 2028 (town clerks) and August 2, 2028 (SOTS). (expected: follows state law; the 2028 calendar isn't published yet) |
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| How | Major-party candidates reach the primary by party convention endorsement, by receiving at least 15% of delegate votes on a convention roll call, or by primary petition (request petition forms from the SOTS by email with a signed consent statement). Certificates of endorsement or 15% eligibility may be filed through DocuSign or on paper. Only enrolled major-party members may petition into a party primary. Candidates not nominated by a party may petition directly onto the general election ballot: apply in writing to the SOTS for petition pages (application with town-clerk-verified name and signed consent), optionally with a reserved party designation (25-member party designation committee); circulators' statements must be signed before an authorized official such as a notary or town clerk. |
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| Fee | No filing fee listed. |
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| Petition instead | Party primary petition: signatures of at least 2% of the party's enrolled members in the congressional district (C.G.S. 9-400(b)); the candidate must be enrolled in the party within the district. Non-party nominating petition: signatures of qualified electors eligible to vote for the office equal to the lesser of 1% of the votes cast for the office at the last election or 7,500 (SOTS ED-607 instructions). |
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Official filing information · U.S. Constitution
U.S. Senate
Who can run
- At least 30 years old
- A U.S. citizen for at least 9 years
- Living in the state when elected
Getting on the Connecticut ballot
| Where to file | Connecticut Secretary of the State, Legislative & Elections Administrative Division, 165 Capitol Avenue, Hartford (sots.ballotaccess@ct.gov; P.O. Box 150470, Hartford, CT 06115-0470). Primary petition pages are filed with the registrars of voters of the towns where they were circulated; nominating petition pages with the SOTS or the town clerk of the signers' town. |
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| When | Party primary: second Tuesday in August (C.G.S. 9-423), August 8, 2028. Party-endorsed candidates are chosen at the party's state convention; a candidate who received at least 15% of convention delegate votes files a certificate with the SOTS by 4:00 p.m. on the 14th day after the convention closes. Primary petition forms are available from the 105th day before the primary (April 25, 2028) and petitions are due to town registrars by 4:00 p.m. on the 63rd day before the primary (June 6, 2028) (C.G.S. 9-400, 9-404a). Petitioning (non-party) candidates: in 2026 the SOTS set the deadline at 4:00 p.m. on the 90th day before the election for town clerks (August 5, 2026) and one week earlier for filing directly with the SOTS (July 29, 2026); the same intervals before November 7, 2028 give August 9, 2028 (town clerks) and August 2, 2028 (SOTS). (expected: follows state law; the 2028 calendar isn't published yet) |
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| How | Major-party candidates reach the primary by party convention endorsement, by receiving at least 15% of delegate votes on a convention roll call, or by primary petition (request petition forms from the SOTS by email with a signed consent statement). Certificates of endorsement or 15% eligibility may be filed through DocuSign or on paper. Only enrolled major-party members may petition into a party primary. Candidates not nominated by a party may petition directly onto the general election ballot: apply in writing to the SOTS for petition pages (application with town-clerk-verified name and signed consent), optionally with a reserved party designation (25-member party designation committee); circulators' statements must be signed before an authorized official such as a notary or town clerk. |
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| Fee | No filing fee listed. |
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| Petition instead | Party primary petition: signatures of at least 2% of the party's enrolled members statewide (C.G.S. 9-400(a)). Non-party nominating petition: signatures of qualified electors equal to the lesser of 1% of the votes cast for the office at the last election or 7,500 (SOTS ED-607 instructions). |
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Official filing information · U.S. Constitution · Connecticut's 2028 Senate race
President
Who can run: At least 35 years old; A natural-born U.S. citizen; A U.S. resident for at least 14 years (U.S. Constitution).
Getting on Connecticut's presidential primary ballot
| How | Presidential preference primary, held by a party in each town if two or more candidates are to be on that party's ballot. Names are placed either (a) by the Secretary of the State, who announces a list of candidates whose candidacy for the party's nomination is 'generally and seriously advocated or recognized' in national or state news media (a listed candidate can ask in writing to be omitted), or (b) by petition: a candidate not on the list (or someone advocating for them) obtains petition pages from the Secretary, with the candidate's signed consent, and gathers signatures of enrolled party members equal to at least 1% of the party's statewide enrollment (C.G.S. 9-465 to 9-469). Petition pages are filed with the party's registrar of voters in the signers' town of residence. |
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| Where | Secretary of the State, Legislative & Elections Administrative Division, 165 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06115 (petition pages filed with the town registrars of voters of the party holding the primary). |
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| When | Primary: first Tuesday in April (C.G.S. 9-464), April 4, 2028. Secretary announces the media-recognized list at 10:00 a.m. on the 74th day before (Friday, January 21, 2028); petition pages available from noon that day; petition pages due to registrars by 4:00 p.m. on the 53rd day before (Friday, February 11, 2028); registrars forward by the 49th day; written requests to be omitted due by 12:00 on the 36th day before (Monday, February 28, 2028) (C.G.S. 9-466 to 9-468). (expected: follows state law) |
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| Fee | None stated in statute. |
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| Petition | Only for candidates not on the Secretary's list: enrolled party members equal to at least 1% of the party's statewide enrollment (C.G.S. 9-469). For 2024 the Secretary estimated about 7,926 Democrats or 4,632 Republicans. |
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Sources: Chap 154 (cga.ct.gov)
Running as an independent in November
| How | Nominating petition for the office of presidential elector (C.G.S. 9-453a to 9-453u). Apply in writing to the Secretary of the State for petition forms; the application must list the 7 presidential elector candidates and be accompanied by the names and signed consent of the President and Vice-President candidates they represent (C.G.S. 9-453b). The petition must include the 7 elector candidates, the President candidate and the Vice-President candidate. It may be filed with or without a party designation (a new designation requires a reserved Party Designation Committee of at least 25 people and a statement of endorsement). Forms are issued no earlier than the first business day of the election year. Signers must be Connecticut electors; each page may be circulated in only one town. |
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| Where | Secretary of the State, 165 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06115, or the town clerk of the town where the page's signers live. |
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| When | Petition pages due to the Secretary of the State by 4:00 p.m. on the 97th day before the election (Wednesday, August 2, 2028), or to the town clerk by 4:00 p.m. on the 90th day before (Wednesday, August 9, 2028) (C.G.S. 9-453i). For 2024 the dates were July 31 and August 7, 2024. (expected: follows state law) |
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| Fee | None stated in statute. |
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| Petition | The lesser of 1% of the total electors checked as having voted at the last election at which presidential electors were on the ballot (2024), or 7,500 (C.G.S. 9-453d). The Elections Services Division computes the number when petition forms are issued. |
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| Also | Running mate and all 7 elector candidates must be named on the application and petition, with consents. Statute: |
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Sources: 2024 ed-607 instruction page for nominating petition · Chap 153 (cga.ct.gov)
Campaign money
- Once you raise or spend more than $5,000, file a Statement of Candidacy (FEC Form 2) within 15 days.
- Your campaign committee then files a Statement of Organization (FEC Form 1) within 10 days and reports to the FEC.
FEC: registering as a candidate · FEC campaign guides
Checked November 4, 2026. Rules can change; confirm with Connecticut's election office and the FEC before you file. ← All states
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