How to run in Massachusetts, 2028
What it takes to get on Massachusetts's 2028 ballot for the U.S. House or President, from the state's election office and laws. Massachusetts has no U.S. Senate seat up in 2028.
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)
- A Democratic or Republican primary candidate must have been enrolled in that party throughout the 90 days before the deadline to file nomination papers with the Secretary of the Commonwealth and not enrolled in another party during the year before that deadline; the local registrars certify this on the nomination papers (G.L. c. 53, s. 48). For 2028 that means enrolled by about March 7, 2028. source
- A non-party (unenrolled) candidate must not have been enrolled in either party during the 90 days before the party-candidate filing deadline; the registrars issue a voter registration certificate saying so (G.L. c. 53, s. 6). source
Getting on the Massachusetts ballot
| Where to file | Secretary of the Commonwealth, Elections Division, One Ashburton Place, Room 1705, Boston (signatures are first certified by the board of registrars in each city or town where signers are registered). Nomination papers are issued in person at Secretary of the Commonwealth offices, at certain local election offices, or by mail on request; not electronically. |
|---|
| When | Party candidates (Democratic or Republican primary): nomination papers to local registrars by 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 9, 2028, and certified papers to the Elections Division by 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 6, 2028 (the first Tuesday in June; registrars' deadline is the 28th day before). Non-party candidates: to local registrars by 5 p.m. Tuesday, August 1, 2028, and to the Elections Division by 5 p.m. Tuesday, August 29, 2028 (the last Tuesday in August). (expected: follows state law; the 2028 calendar isn't published yet) |
|---|
| How | Gather signatures on official nomination papers, submit them to the local registrars for certification, then file the certified papers with the Elections Division together with a signed written acceptance of the nomination and an Enrollment Certification (party candidates) or Voter Registration Certificate (non-party candidates) completed by the registrars where the candidate is registered. Federal candidates are exempt from the state Ethics Commission and OCPF receipts. |
|---|
| Fee | None. |
|---|
| Petition instead | 2,000 certified signatures of voters registered in the district (G.L. c. 53, s. 44). Party candidates may collect signatures only from voters enrolled in their party or not enrolled in any party. Independent / non-party route: 2,000 certified signatures from voters of any affiliation in the district (G.L. c. 53, s. 6), on the later August schedule above; non-party candidates appear only on the November ballot. |
|---|
Official filing information · U.S. Constitution
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 Massachusetts's presidential primary ballot
| How | The Secretary of the Commonwealth places on the presidential primary ballot (1) candidates it determines are generally advocated or recognized in national news media, (2) candidates named on written lists signed by the chair of a political party's state committee, and (3) candidates who file nomination papers furnished by the Secretary. Lists are due no later than the first Friday in January, and each listed candidate is notified by registered mail. A listed candidate's name comes off the ballot only if the candidate files an affidavit with the Secretary by 5 p.m. on the second Friday in January saying they do not want it printed. Ballot order is drawn by lot (G.L. c. 53, s. 70E). |
|---|
| Where | Secretary of the Commonwealth, Elections Division, Boston. |
|---|
| When | 2028: lists and nomination papers due on or before Friday, January 7, 2028 (first Friday in January; G.L. c. 53, ss. 48 and 70E). Withdrawal affidavit due by 5 p.m. Friday, January 14, 2028. Presidential primary: Tuesday, March 7, 2028 (first Tuesday in March; G.L. c. 53, s. 28). (expected: follows state law) |
|---|
| Fee | None in statute. |
|---|
| Petition | Only for a candidate who is not placed on the ballot by the Secretary's media determination or a party chair's list: nomination papers signed by at least 2,500 voters in total (G.L. c. 53, s. 70E). |
|---|
Sources: Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 53 § 70E · Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 53 § 48 · Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 53 § 28
Running as an independent in November
| How | A candidate not nominated by a political party gets on the ballot through nomination papers for presidential electors. The papers must state each candidate's name, residence, office and political designation before anyone signs. A candidate nominated other than by a political party may not use a party name as their designation (G.L. c. 53, ss. 6 and 8). Signers must be registered voters, and the papers go first to the local registrars of the city or town where the signers are registered for certification (G.L. c. 53, s. 7). |
|---|
| Where | Local boards of registrars certify signatures. Certified papers are filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Elections Division. |
|---|
| When | 2028: due at the Secretary by 5 p.m. Tuesday, August 29, 2028 (last Tuesday in August; G.L. c. 53, s. 10). For statewide nomination papers, the 28-day-before rule in G.L. c. 53, s. 7 points to Tuesday, August 1, 2028 for submission to local registrars; confirm the date with the Elections Division. (expected: follows state law) |
|---|
| Fee | None in statute. |
|---|
| Petition | At least 10,000 certified signatures of registered voters for presidential electors (G.L. c. 53, s. 6). Registrars certify up to the required number plus two-fifths (s. 7). |
|---|
| Also | The nomination is of presidential electors, and s. 8 requires the candidate names on a paper to be filled in before signatures are collected. The statutes read here do not spell out how the vice-presidential running mate or the elector names must appear on non-party papers; the Secretary's form sets that. For party nominees, s. 8 has the party state chair file the electors, their signed pledges and the presidential and vice-presidential surnames by the second Tuesday of September. |
|---|
Sources: Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 53 § 6 · Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 53 § 10 · Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 53 § 7 · Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 53 § 8
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 Massachusetts's election office and the FEC before you file. ← All states
See something wrong on this page? Report a problem · Corrections