Secretary of State Announces Candidate Filing Period for 2020 Election Cycle

Charleston, W. Va. – The Secretary of State’s Office has announced the candidate filing period for the 2020 election cycle. It will begin on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020, and last until 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020.

Candidates can file their Certificate of Announcement in person during the hours listed at the following locations:

WV Secretary of State’s Office

State Capitol – Conference Room

• Monday, Jan. 13, to Friday, Jan. 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Saturday, Jan. 18, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• Monday, Jan. 20, to Friday, Jan. 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Saturday, Jan. 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

WVSOS North Central WV Business Hub Office

200 East Main Street, in Clarksburg

• Monday, Jan. 13, to Friday, Jan. 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Monday, Jan. 20, to Friday, Jan. 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Saturday, Jan. 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

WVSOS Eastern Panhandle Business Hub Office

229 East Martin Street, in Martinsburg

• Monday, Jan. 13, to Friday, Jan. 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Monday, Jan. 20, to Friday, Jan. 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Saturday, Jan. 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Candidate’s Certificates of Announcement can also be mailed to the Secretary of State’s Office, and will be accepted so long as they are postmarked by no later than Jan. 25, 2020. Certificates postmarked by the deadline but received by the proper filing office after the Jan. 25 deadline will be accepted. However, any Certificates of Announcement that are postmarked after the deadline will not be accepted.

For more information about running for office, view the Running for Office Guide here.

The full 2020 Elections Calendar is available here.

Candidates for the following offices must file their Certificate of Announcement at the Secretary of State’s Office:

• President
• US Senate
• US House of Representatives
• Governor
• Secretary of State
• Attorney General
• State Auditor
• State Treasurer
• Commissioner of Agriculture
• Justice of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals
• WV State Senate
• WV House of Delegates
• Circuit Court Judge (unexpired)
• Greater Huntington Park Board

Candidates for all other offices elected in the 2020 election cycle must file their Certificates of Announcement with their county clerk. County clerk office locations and contact information may be found here.

For additional information regarding the 2020 election, campaign finances, voter information, absentee voting, and educational resources, click here.

For more information about candidate filing, contact the Elections Division at 304-558-6000, 866-767-8683 (toll free) or send a message to elections@wvsos.gov.