How to run in New Hampshire, 2028
What it takes to get on New Hampshire'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)
- To appear on a party's primary ballot the candidate must be a registered member of that party (RSA 655:14). The declaration of candidacy states that the candidate is domiciled in New Hampshire and registered to vote there, is not a federal employee ineligible to file, and, if convicted of a felony, has completed the sentence (RSA 655:17). source
Getting on the New Hampshire ballot
| Where to file | New Hampshire Secretary of State, State House, Concord (RSA 655:15). |
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| When | Friday, March 3, 2028 through Friday, March 10, 2028, 5:00 p.m. (the first Friday in March through the Friday of the following week), for the June 13, 2028 state primary. A 2026 law (2026, 44) moves the state primary from the second Tuesday in September to the second Tuesday in June and the filing period from June to March, effective January 1, 2028. (expected: follows state law; the 2028 calendar isn't published yet) |
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| How | File a Declaration of Candidacy and a Statement of Financial Interests (RSA 15-A) with the Secretary of State and pay the administrative assessment, or file primary petitions with an assent to candidacy instead. Anyone filing on the last day of the filing period must file in person. |
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| Fee | $50 administrative assessment (RSA 655:19-c). |
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| Petition instead | Instead of the assessment: 100 primary petitions signed by registered members of the party, with one written assent to candidacy (each petition is a separate paper with one signer). Independent / other route: file a Declaration of Intent during the same March filing period, pay the $50 assessment, and file 1,500 nomination papers signed by registered voters in the district, signed and dated in the election year and grouped by municipality; certified nomination papers are due to the Secretary of State by 5:00 p.m. on the Friday one week before the primary (RSA 655:42, 655:43 as amended effective January 1, 2028). A person who filed in that year's state primary cannot then be nominated by nomination papers. |
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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
- To appear on a party's primary ballot the candidate must be a registered member of that party (RSA 655:14). The declaration of candidacy states that the candidate is domiciled in New Hampshire and registered to vote there, is not a federal employee ineligible to file, and, if convicted of a felony, has completed the sentence (RSA 655:17). source
Getting on the New Hampshire ballot
| Where to file | New Hampshire Secretary of State, State House, Concord (RSA 655:15). |
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| When | Friday, March 3, 2028 through Friday, March 10, 2028, 5:00 p.m. (the first Friday in March through the Friday of the following week), for the June 13, 2028 state primary. A 2026 law (2026, 44) moves the state primary from the second Tuesday in September to the second Tuesday in June and the filing period from June to March, effective January 1, 2028. (expected: follows state law; the 2028 calendar isn't published yet) |
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| How | File a Declaration of Candidacy and a Statement of Financial Interests (RSA 15-A) with the Secretary of State and pay the administrative assessment, or file primary petitions with an assent to candidacy instead. Anyone filing on the last day of the filing period must file in person. |
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| Fee | $100 administrative assessment (RSA 655:19-c). |
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| Petition instead | Instead of the assessment: 200 primary petitions signed by registered members of the party, with one written assent to candidacy (each petition is a separate paper with one signer). Independent / other route: file a Declaration of Intent during the same March filing period, pay the $100 assessment, and file 3,000 nomination papers (1,500 from each congressional district) signed by registered voters, signed and dated in the election year and grouped by municipality; certified nomination papers are due to the Secretary of State by 5:00 p.m. on the Friday one week before the primary (RSA 655:42, 655:43 as amended effective January 1, 2028). A person who filed in that year's state primary cannot then be nominated by nomination papers. |
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Official filing information · U.S. Constitution · New Hampshire'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 New Hampshire's presidential primary ballot
| How | A candidate's name is printed on a party's presidential primary ballot once they file a signed declaration of candidacy with the Secretary of State (RSA 655:47) and pay the fee. In the declaration the candidate swears to the U.S. constitutional qualifications, gives their domicile, and declares either that they are a registered member of the party or that they are a recognized candidate for President in the party in which they file. The Secretary of State's decision on whether a declaration is in order is final. No later than the third Friday after the filing period closes, each candidate files the names and addresses of their national convention delegates and alternates (RSA 655:50). |
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| Where | New Hampshire Secretary of State, State House, Concord. |
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| When | By statute, declarations are filed between the first Monday in November and the third Friday in November of the year before (for 2028: Monday, November 1 to Friday, November 19, 2027), 'or during such other time period as the secretary of state shall announce' (RSA 655:47(II)). The Secretary of State sets the primary date: the second Tuesday in March (March 14, 2028), or an earlier date at least 7 days before any other state's similar election, whichever is earlier (RSA 653:9). The 2028 filing period and primary date will be announced by the Secretary of State. (expected: follows state law) |
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| Fee | $1,000, paid to the Secretary of State when the declaration is filed (RSA 655:48). A candidate who proves indigence may instead file 10 primary petitions from each county, signed by registered party members domiciled in New Hampshire, together with a written assent to candidacy. |
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| Petition | None, unless the candidate qualifies through the indigence alternative above. |
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Sources: RSA 655:mrg · RSA 653:mrg
Running as an independent in November
| How | Presidential candidates may be nominated by nomination papers (RSA 655:53, 655:40-45). The candidate files a notarized declaration of intent (RSA 655:17-b) with the Secretary of State during the regular state candidate filing period. Anyone filing on the last day must do so in person. The candidate also pays a single fee covering both the candidate and the vice-presidential candidate (RSA 655:19-a), and files the nomination papers. Each voter signs and dates an individual nomination paper in the election year, and may sign only one per office. The papers must state the candidate's name, domicile, office, and the political organization or principles the candidate represents. Each paper first goes to the supervisors of the checklist in the signer's town or ward, who certify that the signer is registered (RSA 655:41). A person who filed as a candidate in the state primary may not use nomination papers (RSA 655:43(IV)). |
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| Where | New Hampshire Secretary of State, Concord. Papers are certified first by town or ward supervisors of the checklist (or the city clerk). |
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| When | Under 2026 amendments effective January 1, 2028 (2026, 44), the state primary moves to the second Tuesday in June (June 13, 2028; RSA 653:8). The candidate filing period becomes the first Friday in March and the Friday of the following week (March 3 to March 10, 2028; RSA 655:14, 655:14-a), and the declaration of intent is due in that period. Nomination papers are due to the supervisors of the checklist by 5:00 p.m. on the Friday 5 weeks before the primary, and to the Secretary of State by 5:00 p.m. on the Friday one week before the primary (RSA 655:41, 655:43 as amended). Confirm the exact Friday dates with the Secretary of State's 2028 calendar. (expected: follows state law) |
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| Fee | $250, paid when the declaration of intent is filed. This single fee covers the candidate and the vice-presidential candidate (RSA 655:19-a). |
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| Petition | 3,000 registered voters, with 1,500 from each of New Hampshire's two congressional districts (RSA 655:42(I)). |
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| Also | The fee provision covers 'his vice-presidential candidate', so a running mate is part of the filing. The sections read do not spell out how independent candidates' electors are named: RSA 655:54 covers party conventions only, and the elector statute RSA 667:21 was not read. Nomination papers are due much earlier in 2028 than in past presidential years because the state primary moves from September to June. |
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Sources: RSA 655:mrg · RSA 653:8 · Running office (sos.nh.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 New Hampshire's election office and the FEC before you file. ← All states
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