Independent Candidate Information

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING PETITIONS FOR INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE NOMINATIONS
FOR THE NOVEMBER 6, 2012 ELECTION IS July 30, 2012. (Section 115.329.1, RSMo)

NUMBER OF SIGNATURES REQUIRED:

• Statewide office: at least 10,000 registered Missouri voters (§115.321.3 RSMo)
• District or county office: Registered voters in the district or county which is equal to at
  least 2% of the total number of voters who voted at the last election for candidates for the
  office being sought or is equal to 10,000 voters, whichever is less. (§115.321.4 RSMo)

The Secretary of State's Office can supply official election returns for state offices.

FORM OF PETITION: Format is provided in §115.325.3 RSMo. Missouri statutes do not provide for
pre-approval by the Secretary of State or election authority.

OTHER DOCUMENTS REQUIRED:

• A Declaration of Candidacy form must be filed with the petition. The form is provided in §115.327 and 115.399 RSMo.
• Proof of identity is required (for example, voter identification card or driver's license).
• Information required on the petition or attached to the petition. §115.321 RSMo
• A copy of an affidavit filed with the Department of Revenue affirming that the candidate is not currently aware of any delinquency in the filing or payment of any state income taxes, personal property taxes, real property taxes on the place of residence, as stated on the declaration of candidacy, or is not a past or present corporate officer of any fee office that owes any taxes to the state, other than those taxes which may be in dispute. See http://dor.mo.gov/forms/5120.pdf   (does not apply to candidates running for U.S. President, U.S. Senate or U.S. Congress).
  

WHERE TO SUBMIT PETITIONS:

An independent candidate petition for a U.S. President, U.S. Senate, statewide office, congressional district, state senate district, state representative district, or circuit judge district, must be submitted to the Secretary of State's Office, Elections Division, James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center - 3rd Floor, Jefferson City, MO 65101. An independent candidate petition for a county office must be submitted to the election authority of the county. (§115.321.1 RSMo)

The Declaration of Candidacy form submitted with the petition must be sworn to by the candidate (in person) before the election authority accepting the petition, a notary public or other officer authorized by law to administer oaths. (§115.327 RSMo)

STATUTORY PETITION REQUIREMENTS:

• Each petition shall consist of pages of uniform size.
• The space for signatures on either side of a petition page shall be no larger than eight and one-half by fourteen inches.
• Each petition page must contain signatures of registered voters from only one county.
• Each petition page must be sworn to by the circulator before a notary public.
• No voter may sign more than one petition for one office at any election.
• When submitted for filing, petitions must be numbered in sequence for each county. (§§115.323 & 115.325 RSMo)