Candidate filing for the 2026 election cycle begins today in Wake County, according to the Wake County Board of Elections. The filing period opens at noon and will continue during regular business hours until noon on Friday, December 19.
Candidates interested in running for office can find details about specific contests, qualifications, required documents, and filing fees on the Wake County Board of Elections website. Filing is available at the Wake County Board of Elections Operations Center for registered voters in the county.
Due to a change adopted by ordinance in May 2024, candidates for City of Raleigh offices will now file in December before the March primary. In addition, two new at-large seats will be added to the Wake County Board of Commissioners as mandated by N.C. Session Law 2023-30.
“Having just finished the municipal elections, our team has been working to turn everything around in anticipation of this filing period,” said Wake County Elections Director Olivia McCall. “With the added contests and changes, we just want to make sure everyone visits our website ahead of time to prepare for the upcoming election.”
Candidates must file paperwork in person at the designated location; surrogates or staff are not permitted to deliver these documents. Alternatively, candidates may complete their paperwork with a notary and submit it along with any applicable fees by mail or commercial courier service. All candidacy notices must be received within the statutory filing window.
The list of filed candidates will be updated daily after business hours throughout the filing period on wake.gov/upcomingelection.
For additional information about voting and upcoming elections, visit ReadyToVote.com.
