7/30/2010, 12 Noon

9/14/2010

Filing fee for 2008 was $3,386.00

(“Filing fees are set by the Parties in Delaware. … Deadline for the parties to set fees July 1 2010.”)

Candidates for Federal Offices must establish campaign committees with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Campaign Financing reports are filed with the FEC and with Delaware’s Secretary of State.

To obtain a position on Delaware’s ballot, Federal Candidates must submit an original filing form  with Delaware’s Commissioner of Elections before the closing date.

A filing fee is due at the point of filing which is submitted to the Commissioner of Elections. The fee amount is set by the candidate’s political party and the check is payable to the candidate’s political party. There is no filing fee for Independent candidates.

(3) Candidates for municipal office for any municipality which holds its election at the time of the general election shall be set by the city executive committee of the respective political party of the city in which the contest is to be held.

(b) The filing fee shall not be greater than 1% of the total salary for the entire term of office for which the candidate is filing except for candidates who fulfill the requirements of subsections (d) and (e) of this section.

(c) The state chair, county chair and city chairs of each political party shall notify the State Election Commissioner and the respective departments of elections of the amount of the filing fee set pursuant to this section. The notification shall be no later than July 1 of each general election year.

(d) A person who establishes indigency to the Commissioner may, in lieu of the filing fee, present a nomination petition by the deadline for notification of candidacy, in a form prescribed by the Commissioner of Elections, bearing the signatures, in the manner hereinafter prescribed, of 1% of the persons who, at the time such petition is presented, are registered voters in all of the election districts in which such candidate would appear on the ballot.

(302) 739-4277

Fax: (302) 739-7351

Email: Paul.Baldwin@state.de.us

Title 15, Chapter 43 § 4308. Representative in Congress.

A Representative for the people of this State in the Congress of the United States shall be chosen at the biennial general election. The election of a Representative in Congress shall be conducted in the same places, manner and form and by the same persons and officers and under the same regulations in all respects, as the election for members of the General Assembly, and the votes given for Representative in Congress shall be calculated and ascertained at the same time and place, in the same manner and by and under the same means and regulations as those for members of the General Assembly. (Code 1852, §§ 412, 413; 11 Del. Laws, c. 362, § 2; Code 1915, §§ 1877, 1878; Code 1935, §§ 1996, 1997; 15 Del. C. 1953, § 4308.)

The residency requirements for candidates for elective office shall be as set forth in the municipal charter, state statute or state Constitution governing the qualifications of candidates for elective office in the city, county, area or district in which the candidate proposes to seek elective office. In instances where a court has declared a residency requirement to be unconstitutional and until such time as a new residency requirement becomes effective, no person may be a candidate for elective office unless such person has been a resident of the city, county, area or district for a period of at least 1 year prior to seeking elective office.

First you need to speak with the Secretary of State’s Office about running for any Federal elective office, such as, U.S. Senator or U. S. Representative. You will also be required to file information with the Federal Election Commission concerning your candidacy. To have your name placed on the Delaware ballot for an office in an election for which you qualify, you will have to pay a filing fee and file your name and office with the Commissioner of Elections.

Nominating certificates shall be in writing and, in each case, shall contain the name of each person nominated, the person’s residence and the office for which the person is nominated, other than the names of the candidates for President and Vice-President for which no residence need be given. The persons making such certificates shall add to their signatures their respective places of residence and shall acknowledge such certificate before an officer duly authorized to take acknowledgments of deeds, and a certificate of such acknowledgment shall be fixed to the instrument.

(g) No such state nominating convention shall have completed its business relative to such nominations until such time as 1 nominee for each of the aforesaid offices shall have received a vote greater than

50% of the total number of eligible delegate votes at such convention, which polled vote shall be considered final.

(h) The Commissioner of Elections shall verify that the nominations of candidates submitted to the Commissioner of Elections and the eligibility of each political party to make such nominations conform to the requirements set forth in this title. Each department of elections shall do the same concerning certificates of nomination submitted to it.

(i) The Commissioner of Elections shall forthwith send a copy of each certificate of nomination submitted to the Commissioner to each department of elections. Each department of elections shall forthwith send a copy of each certificate of nomination submitted to it to the Commissioner of Elections.

Certificates of nomination to be filed with the State Election Commissioner or the departments of election, as the case may be, shall be filed before the close of the official business day on or before September 1 of the year of any general election, and if the 1st day of September is a Sunday or legal holiday, then on the next official business day. In any case, where a candidate named on these certificates shall not already have given notice on the candidate filing form promulgated by the Commissioner of Elections, such notice shall accompany the filing of the respective certificate of nomination. However, when there is a national nominating convention or a contest in a primary election yet to be held, the nominees from said national nominating convention or the winners of any such contests shall be named on a certificate of nomination to be filed before 12:00 noon on the earlier of:

(1) The Tuesday following said national nominating convention or primary election; or,

(2) September 15 of said election year.

Candidates running for a Federal Office are NOT required to form a Committee in Delaware, however, they must comply with Federal Election Commission (FEC) regulations and submit periodic reports. There are specific Campaign Finance reports for Federal Offices that must be filed with the Delaware Secretary of State. For more information on these requirements, call (302) 739-4111.