OFFICES UP FOR ELECTION
Offices up for Election in 2022
2022 & 2024 Announced County Candidates
Federal, State, Multi-County Candidates: Information can be found on the Florida Division of Elections website. Federal, State and Multi-County candidates file and qualify with the Florida Division of Elections.
Municipal Candidates: Contact the City/Town Clerk's Clerk's Office for information on offices up for election in any of the 24 municipalities in Pinellas County. Municipal candidates file and qualify with the City/Town Clerk's Office.
Pinellas County Candidates: Click here to see the list of local candidates who have filed to run for office. County candidates file and qualify with the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections.
2022 COUNTY CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS
Pinellas County Candidates: Click here to see the list of local candidates who have filed to run for office. County candidates file and qualify with the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections.
FINANCIAL REPORTING
Candidates are required to submit regular financial reports, following the deadlines specified by the Florida Division of Elections. Campaign Treasurer Reports must be electronically filed through the Supervisor of Elections’ website (www.VotePinellas.com/CFinance) using the C-Finance module no later than Midnight (Eastern Time) of the reporting due date as required by law or the reports are deemed filed late and are subject to the applicable penalties pursuant to Florida Statute 106.07.
FILING (ANNOUNCING) FOR COUNTY OFFICE - STEP 1
Required Forms
DS-DE 9 — Appointment of Campaign Treasurer and Designation of Campaign Depository
DS-DE 84 — Statement of Candidate (attesting that you have read and understand campaign finance law)
DS-DE 83 — Judicial Candidates only — Statement of Candidate for Judicial Office (attesting you have read and understand the Florida Code of Judicial Conduct)
You must file form DS-DE9, Appointment of Campaign Treasurer, before opening your campaign account, accepting any contributions, making any campaign expenditures, or collecting petitions.
Within 10 days of filing form DS-DE9, you must file form DS-DE84, Statement of Candidate. Candidates for Judicial Office must within 10 days of filing form DS-DE9 also file form DS-DE83, Statement of Candidate for Judicial Office.
Where To File
Where you file for candidacy depends on the office you’re seeking.
If you’re running for a county office, you’ll file and qualify with us.
If you’re running for a federal, state or multi-county seat, the Florida Division of Elections is your qualifying officer.
For more details on the offices up for election, click here. For information on qualifying with the Division of Elections, click here.
QUALIFYING FOR COUNTY OFFICE - STEP 2
ATTENTION: Recent law (s. 11 of Chapter 2021-11, Laws of Florida) requires a person seeking nomination as a candidate of a political party to be a member of that political party for the 365 days BEFORE the beginning of the applicable qualifying period. Additionally, the law requires a person seeking to qualify for office as a candidate with no party affiliation to not be a member of any political party for the 365 days BEFORE the beginning of the applicable qualifying period.
Therefore, the last day for a county candidate to make the applicable change is June 12, 2021, in order for the person to meet the 365-day requirement.
Once you file to run for office, you will be listed as a filed candidate here and you will log in here to file regular financial reports.
The information on this page applies to candidates for county office, who qualify with our office. Candidates for federal, state or multi-county offices should contact the Florida Division of Elections.
Candidates must qualify to run for office by submitting qualifying forms and a qualifying fee. In lieu of paying a qualifying fee, you may choose to qualify by petition or as a write-in candidate. Write-in candidates' names do not appear on the ballot.
Our office can begin accepting qualifying forms and fees during the pre-qualifying period, which takes place 14 days prior to the official qualifying dates.(Forms and fees will then be processed on the first day of qualifying week.) All qualifying forms and fees (if applicable) must be received no later than noon on the last day of the qualifying period. Qualifying forms may be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, Attn: Candidate Services, 13001 Starkey Rd., Largo, FL 33773. Qualifying checks may not be emailed, and should be mailed to this address.
Qualifying Dates
Judicial Candidates: Noon, April 25, 2022 – Noon, April 29, 2022 (We will begin accepting qualifying documents on April 11, 2022, as per F.S. 99.061(8))
All Other County & Special District Candidates: Noon, June 13, 2022 – Noon, June 17, 2022
(Pre-qualifying papers will be accepted beginning May 31, 2022. F.S. 99.061(8) states that qualifying papers may be submitted to the qualifying officer beginning 14 days prior to the qualifying period. Pinellas County Elections Offices will be CLOSED in observance of Memorial Day on Monday, May 30, 2022.)
Qualifying Methods
Qualifying By Fee
The qualifying fee is based on the salary of the office as of July 1, 2021. You may view specific amounts on the 2022 County Candidate Requirement links above. Your qualifying fee must be paid using a check drawn on your campaign account, made payable to the Supervisor of Elections, and signed by the treasurer. These fees are due the week of qualifying, but can be turned in during the pre-qualifying period.
Qualifying By Petition
The qualifying fee is waived if you qualify by petition.
A candidate running for countywide office in 2022 may qualify by submitting valid petition signatures equal to 1% (or 7,112 petition signatures) of the registered voters in Pinellas County as of the last general election, November 3, 2020.
A candidate running for a single-member district in 2022 may qualify by submitting valid signature petitions equal to one fourth of 1% (or 1,778 petition signatures) of the registered voters in Pinellas County as if the last general election, November 3, 2020.
Pursuant to F.S. 95.095 (2)(d), in a year of apportionment, any candidate for county or district office seeking ballot position by the petition process may obtain the required number of signatures from any registered voter in the respective county, regardless of district boundaries. The candidate shall obtain at least the number of signatures equal to 1 percent of the total number of registered voters, as shown by a compilation by the department for the immediately preceding general election, divided by the total number of districts of the office involved.
Candidate Petition Deadlines:
- PRIOR to NOON, March 28, 2022 – Judicial, state attorney and public defender
- PRIOR to NOON, May 16, 2022 – Federal*, state, multi-county, county and district
* Pursuant to F.S. 99.061(9), in years the Legislature apportions the state, the qualifying date for Federal candidates is moved to May 16, 2022.
NOTE: Candidates must qualify by fee OR petition, not a combination of the two.
Additional Candidate Petition Information Here
HELPFUL FORMS & PUBLICATIONS
FORMS:
PUBLICATIONS:
CANDIDATE DATA ORDER INFORMATION
For voter records and other data orders call (727) 464-4958 or email [email protected].
- Order a copy of the voter file – by district, municipality, or the whole county
- Order current or past mail ballot request information (must be a qualified candidate with opposition)
- Candidates are required to file an Oath of Acquisition with the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections before placing data orders regarding mail ballot requests
COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS
If you think someone is violating election law, you should file a complaint with the Florida Elections Commission.