Virginia Law

A. Declarations of candidacy, petitions, and receipts indicating the payment of filing fees shall be filed not earlier than noon of the ninety-second day and not later than 5:00 p.m. of the seventy-fifth day before the primary.

B. Except as provided in subsection C, candidates for nomination shall file their declarations, petitions, and receipts with the chairman or chairmen of the several committees of the respective parties.

C. Any candidate for nomination for United States Senator, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or Attorney General shall file with the State Board (i) his declaration of candidacy, (ii) the petitions for his candidacy, sealed in one or more containers to which is attached a written statement under oath by the candidate giving his name and the number of signatures on the petitions contained in the containers, and (iii) a receipt indicating the payment of his filing fee.

The State Board shall transmit the material so filed to the state chairman of the party of the candidate within 72 hours and not later than the seventy-fourth day before the primary. The sealed containers containing the petitions for a candidate may be opened only by the state chairman of the party of the candidate.

Code 1950, §§ 24-370 through 24-372, 24-374; 1960, c. 427; 1970, c. 462, §§ 24.1-184, 24.1-186; 1978, cc. 239, 778, § 24.1-186.1; 1983, c. 461; 1993, c. 641; 2003, c. 1015; 2010, cc. 449, 645; 2013, c. 443.

A. Declarations of candidacy, petitions, and receipts indicating the payment of filing fees shall be filed not earlier than noon of the ninety-second day and not later than 5:00 p.m. of the seventy-fifth day before the primary; however, if the declaration of candidacy, petitions, and a receipt indicating the payment of any filing fees for an incumbent United States Senator, member of the United States House of Representatives, member of the Senate of Virginia or the House of Delegates, member of a local governing body, mayor, or constitutional officer are not filed by 5:00 p.m. on the seventy-fifth day before the primary election, or are filed but are subsequently withdrawn before 5:00 p.m. on the seventy-fifth day before the direct primary election, any person other than the person who was the incumbent on the seventy-fifth day shall have until 5:00 p.m. on the seventieth day before the election to file such documents for the respective elective office.

B. Except as provided in subsection C, candidates for nomination shall file their declarations, petitions, and receipts with the chairman or chairmen of the several committees of the respective parties.

C. Any candidate for nomination for United States Senator, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or Attorney General shall file with the State Board (i) his declaration of candidacy, (ii) the petitions for his candidacy, sealed in one or more containers to which is attached a written statement under oath by the candidate giving his name and the number of signatures on the petitions contained in the containers, and (iii) a receipt indicating the payment of his filing fee.

The State Board shall notify the state chairman of the party of the candidate of receipt of the material so filed and make the material available for pickup within 72 hours and not later than the day following the candidate filing deadline. The sealed containers containing the petitions for a candidate may be opened only by the state chairman of the party of the candidate.

Code 1950, §§ 24-370 through 24-372, 24-374; 1960, c. 427; 1970, c. 462, §§ 24.1-184, 24.1-186; 1978, cc. 239, 778, § 24.1-186.1; 1983, c. 461; 1993, c. 641; 2003, c. 1015; 2010, cc. 449, 645; 2013, c. 443; 2026, c. 990.

The chapters of the acts of assembly referenced in the historical citation at the end of this section may not constitute a comprehensive list of such chapters and may exclude chapters whose provisions have expired.