Taking part
running for office
Becoming a candidate: meeting the office's eligibility requirements, filing by the deadline, qualifying for the ballot, and complying with campaign finance rules.
In full
Eligibility for federal office is set by the Constitution: age, citizenship duration, and residency. Everything else, including filing deadlines, fees, and signature counts, comes from state law, and the deadlines fall far earlier than most people expect. Local offices frequently have few or no filers, which is where a single candidate has the most effect.
Where to go next
Keep going
Browse every term in the glossary, or see the vocabulary in motion in the How government works walkthroughs.
A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.