We've been dealing with the process for months now. Here's a step-by-step guide for those of you who'd like to get the ball rolling. This document is tailored to individuals seeking the Democratic nomination.
We'd like to advise, however, that it's important to have a thorough plan devised before going through this process. Evaluate your family life, work life, financial situation, and willingness to take on the painful task of fundraising for hours each day.
Let us know if y'all have any questions. This sheet is open for comments within from the public - please correct us if we made a mistake! The info from the Google Sheet above is replicated here:
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Here's the comprehensive Virginia Department of Elections Candidacy Requirement Guide for the General Assembly offices in 2017. We suggest you read through that, if you haven't already. The following steps are based on that guide and our experience:
(1) Acquire a P.O. Box. You'll need this address for all subsequent documents to simplify the process and prevent amendments.
(2) Find a Treasurer for your campaign committee. This individual will be required to complete your campaign finance filings. They'll be working within the COMET system, a simple online interface for inputting income and expenditures. It's an easy job with minimal time commitment, but it's helpful to get someone who's experienced. It'll save time in the future.
(3) Complete a Certificate of Candidate Qualification. This just formally ensures that you meet the basic requirements of a candidate, i.e. you're registered to vote, old enough to run, and live in your district.
(4) Establish a campaign committee and familiarize yourself with the summary of campaign finance laws and policies in VA. You'll need to setup a bank account (ideally at a local credit union) and Complete a Statement of Organization. Also acquire an EIN for the committee, which is quickly done online. Although this doesn't have to occur before (5), (6), and (7) below, if you plan to raise money now you need to do all of this first.
(5) Complete a Declaration of Candidacy. This form must be signed by either a Notary or two witnesses who are registered to vote in your district. It also has to be filed with the Petition of Qualified Voters below.
(6) Complete a Petition of Qualified Voters. You'll need 125 qualifying signatures from residents of your district, which means you should collect at least twice that number to be sure you qualify. It's common for some names/signatures to be disqualified due to illegibility or incorrect/incomplete information.
(7) Complete a Statement of Economic Interests. You should be able to do this immediately. You’ll need to email dls.virginia.gov to be added to the online filing system.
(8) Primary filing fee. You'll need to discuss this with the local Party chairs. For a primary, it’s 2% of the annual salary for the position sought — that’s less than $400 for House of Delegates. For a caucus, the amount may vary.