How to run in Vermont, 2028
What it takes to get on Vermont'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 Vermont ballot
| Where to file | Vermont Secretary of State, Elections Division (17 V.S.A. 2357; independents 17 V.S.A. 2401). |
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| When | Major party primary petitions and consent of candidate: not earlier than the fourth Monday in April and not later than 5:00 p.m. on the fourth Thursday after the first Monday in May (17 V.S.A. 2356), which is Monday, April 24 through 5:00 p.m. Thursday, May 25, 2028, for the primary held the second Tuesday in August (17 V.S.A. 2351), August 8, 2028. (expected: follows state law; the 2028 calendar isn't published yet) |
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| How | File a primary petition signed by registered voters together with a completed and signed Consent of Candidate form; the filing officer may not accept a petition without the consent form (17 V.S.A. 2353, 2357, 2361). The Secretary of State publishes a federal-candidate petition and consent packet for each cycle. A person may appear on only one party's primary ballot and must file a separate petition for each office. |
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| Fee | No filing fee in the statutes or on the Secretary of State's candidate page. |
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| Petition instead | Primary: at least 500 signatures of registered voters qualified to vote for the office (17 V.S.A. 2355); each signer lists their town of residence. Independent candidates: file a statement of nomination signed by at least 500 qualified voters plus a consent form with the Secretary of State, not earlier than the fourth Monday in April and not later than 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday before the primary (17 V.S.A. 2402), which is August 3, 2028. A candidate who loses a major party primary may not appear on the general election ballot as an independent for the same office (17 V.S.A. 2401(b)). |
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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 Vermont ballot
| Where to file | Vermont Secretary of State, Elections Division (17 V.S.A. 2357; independents 17 V.S.A. 2401). |
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| When | Major party primary petitions and consent of candidate: not earlier than the fourth Monday in April and not later than 5:00 p.m. on the fourth Thursday after the first Monday in May (17 V.S.A. 2356), which is Monday, April 24 through 5:00 p.m. Thursday, May 25, 2028, for the primary held the second Tuesday in August (17 V.S.A. 2351), August 8, 2028. (expected: follows state law; the 2028 calendar isn't published yet) |
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| How | File a primary petition signed by registered voters together with a completed and signed Consent of Candidate form; the filing officer may not accept a petition without the consent form (17 V.S.A. 2353, 2357, 2361). The Secretary of State publishes a federal-candidate petition and consent packet for each cycle. A person may appear on only one party's primary ballot and must file a separate petition for each office. |
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| Fee | No filing fee in the statutes or on the Secretary of State's candidate page. |
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| Petition instead | Primary: at least 500 signatures of registered voters qualified to vote for the office (17 V.S.A. 2355); each signer lists their town of residence. Independent candidates: file a statement of nomination signed by at least 500 qualified voters plus a consent form with the Secretary of State, not earlier than the fourth Monday in April and not later than 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday before the primary (17 V.S.A. 2402), which is August 3, 2028. A candidate who loses a major party primary may not appear on the general election ballot as an independent for the same office (17 V.S.A. 2401(b)). |
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Official filing information · U.S. Constitution · Vermont'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 Vermont's presidential primary ballot
| How | Candidate petition. A person's name is printed on a major political party's presidential primary ballot when petitions signed by voters, under 17 V.S.A. §§ 2353, 2354 and 2358, are filed with the Secretary of State together with the person's written consent to having the name printed (17 V.S.A. § 2702(a)). The petition form is prescribed by the Secretary of State. A person may not appear on more than one party's primary ballot. The Secretary of State examines the petitions and returns any nonconforming petition within two business days with written reasons (§ 2703). Names are listed alphabetically (§ 2704). |
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| Where | Vermont Secretary of State, Elections Division, Montpelier. |
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| When | Petitions due by 5:00 p.m. on December 15, 2027 (§ 2702(b)). Supplementary petitions are accepted up to 10 days after that deadline, but only if petitions with at least 1,000 signatures were filed by it (§ 2703). Primary: first Tuesday in March (§ 2701), March 7, 2028. (expected: follows state law) |
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| Fee | $2,000, paid to the Secretary of State. If the candidate files an affidavit (open to public inspection) that the candidate and campaign committee lack sufficient funds, all but $300 is waived (§ 2702(e)). |
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| Petition | At least 1,000 voters (§ 2702(a)). |
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Sources: Vt. Stat. tit. 17 § 05702702
Running as an independent in November
| How | File a statement of nomination and a signed consent form with the Secretary of State (17 V.S.A. § 2401). For President or Vice President, the statement must give the name and state of residence of each candidate, plus the name, town of residence and mailing address of each nominee for elector, and must be accompanied by a consent form from each elector nominee. The original statement must carry each town clerk's certification that the signers are registered voters in that town, with the number of valid signers, and only clerk-certified signers count (§ 2402(a)(4)). Up to three words of identification may be printed after the candidate's name. A statement is not accepted unless the completed, signed consent form is filed with it. Forms are prescribed by the Secretary of State. |
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| Where | Vermont Secretary of State, Elections Division, Montpelier. |
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| When | Not earlier than the fourth Monday in April, April 24, 2028, and not later than 5:00 p.m. on August 1, 2028 (§ 2402(d)(1)(A)). (expected: follows state law) |
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| Fee | None set in §§ 2401-2402. |
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| Petition | At least 1,000 signatures of voters qualified to vote for the office, certified by town clerks (§ 2402(b)(1)(A)). |
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| Also | Yes, both must be named at filing. The statement must name the vice-presidential candidate and every elector nominee, with consent forms from the electors. If the independent vice-presidential candidate withdraws, the presidential candidate may file a new consent form, signed by the candidate and the new running mate, by the ballot printing deadline (§ 2402(f)). A candidate who loses a major party primary for an office cannot run as an independent for that office (§ 2401(b)). |
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Sources: Vt. Stat. tit. 17 § 04902402
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 Vermont's election office and the FEC before you file. ← All states
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