Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Iowa
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Note: This article is not intended to serve as an exhaustive guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.
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In order to get on the ballot in Iowa, a candidate for president of the United States must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A presidential candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.
There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for president of the United States.
- An individual can seek the nomination of a political party. Presidential nominees are selected by delegates at national nominating conventions. Individual states conduct caucuses or primary elections to determine which delegates will be sent to the national convention.[1]
- An individual can run as an independent. Independent presidential candidates typically must petition in each state in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.[1]
- An individual can run as a write-in candidate.[1]
The information on this page applies only to presidential candidates. For additional information about ballot access requirements for state and congressional candidates, see this page.
Year-specific filing information
2024
The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in Iowa in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Iowa, click here.
Presidential primary candidates
Note that political parties in Iowa conduct caucuses instead of presidential preference primaries. As such, no filing requirements apply for partisan candidates.
Independent presidential candidates
| Filing requirements for independent candidates in Iowa, 2024 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| Iowa | 3,500 | Fixed by statute | N/A | N/A | 8/16/2024 | Source |
For filing information from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.
2020
The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in Iowa in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Iowa, click here.
Presidential primary candidates
Note that political parties in Iowa conduct caucuses instead of presidential preference primaries. As such, no filing requirements apply for partisan candidates.
Independent presidential candidates
| Filing requirements for independent candidates in Iowa, 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| Iowa | 1,500 | Fixed by statute | N/A | N/A | 8/14/2020 | Source |
2016
The calendar below lists important filing deadlines in Iowa for the 2016 presidential election. For information about campaign finance reporting deadlines, see below.
| Dates and requirements for presidential candidates in 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline | Event type | Event description | |
| January 22, 2016 | Ballot access | Filing deadline for Democratic caucuses | |
| February 1, 2016 | Election date | Democratic and Republican caucuses | |
| August 1, 2016 | Ballot access | Filing period opens for the general election | |
| August 19, 2016 | Ballot access | Filing period closes for the general election | |
| November 8, 2016 | Election date | General election | |
| Source: Iowa Secretary of State, "General Election," accessed August 24, 2015 | |||
Qualifications
Article 2, Section 1, of the United States Constitution sets the following qualifications for the presidency:[2]
| “ | No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.[3] | ” |
| —United States Constitution | ||
Article 2, Section 4, of the United States Constitution says an individual can be disqualified from the presidency if impeached and convicted:
| “ | The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.[3] | ” |
| —United States Constitution | ||
The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution says an individual can also be disqualified from the presidency under the following conditions:
| “ | No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.[3] | ” |
| —United States Constitution | ||
Party nomination processes
- See also: Primary election and Caucus
| Hover over the terms below to display definitions. | |
| Ballot access laws | |
| Primary election | |
| Caucus | |
| Delegate | |
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A political party formally nominates its presidential candidate at a national nominating convention. At this convention, state delegates select the party's nominee. Prior to the nominating convention, the states conduct presidential preference primaries or caucuses. Generally speaking, only state-recognized parties—such as the Democratic Party and the Republican Party—conduct primaries and caucuses. These elections measure voter preference for the various candidates and help determine which delegates will be sent to the national nominating convention.[1][4][5]
The Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee, the governing bodies of the nation's two major parties, establish their own guidelines for the presidential nomination process. State-level affiliates of the parties also have some say in determining rules and provisions in their own states. Individuals interested in learning more about the nomination process should contact the political parties themselves for full details.
In Iowa, political parties conduct caucuses. Relevant state law defines a political party as a group whose candidates for either president or governor received at least 2 percent of the total votes cast for those offices in the most recent general election. The caucuses are administered by the parties themselves; as such, there are no formal legal filing requirements for party candidates in the caucuses.[6][7][8][9]
General election requirements
The president of the United States is elected not by popular vote, but by the Electoral College. The Electoral College comprises a total of 538 electors. Each state is allocated a number of electors equal to the size of its congressional delegation. The Office of the Federal Register administers the Electoral College process:[10][11]
| “ | On Election Day, the voters in each State choose the Electors by casting votes for the presidential candidate of their choice. The Electors’ names may or may not appear on the ballot below the name of the candidates running for President, depending on the procedure in each State. The winning candidate in each State—except in Nebraska and Maine, which have proportional distribution of the Electors—is awarded all of the State’s Electors.[3] | ” |
| —The Office of the Federal Register | ||
Typically, electors are selected by state parties. Federal law does not require electors to vote "according to the results of the popular vote in their states." Some states and political parties have enacted policies requiring their electors to vote in accordance with the popular vote. According to the Office of the Federal Register, "throughout our history as a nation, more than 99 percent of electors have voted as pledged."[10][11]
Iowa was allocated six electoral college votes, the same amount it was allocated in the 2012, 2016 and 2020 presidential contests.[12]
Political parties
On the 81st day prior to the general election, the chairperson and secretary of a political party's state central committee must submit to the Iowa Secretary of State the names of the party's candidates for president and vice president in order to have the names printed on the general election ballot.[13][14]
Independent candidates
An independent candidate for president must petition for placement on the general election ballot. At least 3,500 eligible voters from at least 19 of the state's counties must sign the petition. The petition must include the names of candidates for president, vice president, and presidential electors. The petition must be filed with the secretary of state by 5:00 p.m. on the 81st day prior to the general election. [15][16]
Political nonparty organizations
State law defines a political nonparty organization as "any convention or caucus of eligible electors representing a political organization which is not a political party as defined by law." A nonparty organization can qualify to place its candidate for president on the general election ballot. In order to do so, the organization must make the nomination at a caucus or convention. At least 500 eligible voters must attend the meeting. There must be at least one attendee from each of the state's counties. Upon completion of the meeting, the chairperson and secretary of the nonparty organization must file a certificate of nomination with the secretary of state by 5:00 p.m. on the 81st day preceding the general election.[16][17]
Sore loser laws
Some states bar candidates who sought, but failed, to secure the nomination of a political party from running as independents in the general election. These restrictions are sometimes called sore loser laws. There are no sore loser laws on the books in Iowa.[18][19]
Write-in requirements
In Iowa, a write-in candidate is not required to file any special paperwork in order to have his or her votes tallied.[20]
Historical information
According to Richard Winger, publisher of Ballot Access News, between 1892 and 2012 there were 401 instances in which a state required an independent or unqualified party candidate to collect more than 5,000 signatures in order to appear on the general election ballot. In Iowa, there were no such instances during this period. See this article for more information.[21]
Campaign finance requirements
- See also: Campaign finance requirements in Iowa
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is the only agency authorized to regulate the financing of presidential and other federal campaigns (i.e., campaigns for the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives). The states cannot impose additional requirements on federal candidates. Federal law requires all presidential candidates to file a statement of candidacy within 15 days of receiving contributions or making expenditures that exceed $5,000. The statement of candidacy is the only federally mandated ballot access requirement for presidential candidates; all other ballot access procedures are mandated at the state level. The candidacy statement authorizes "a principal campaign committee to raise and spend funds" on behalf of the candidate. Within 10 days of filing the candidacy statement, the committee must file a statement of organization with the FEC. In addition, federal law establishes contribution limits for presidential candidates. These limits are detailed in the table below. The uppermost row indicates the recipient type; the leftmost column indicates the donor type.[22][23]
| Federal contribution limits, 2023-2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate committees | Political action committees | State and district party committees | National party committees | Additional national party committee accounts | |
| Individual | $3,300 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $41,300 per year | $123,900 per account, per year |
| Candidate committee | $2,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Multicandidate political action committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | $5,000 per year (combined) | $15,000 per year | $45,000 per account, per year |
| Other political action committee | $3,300 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $41,300 per year | $123,900 per account, per year |
| State and district party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| National party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $3,300 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $3,300 to the same candidate committee for the general election. Source: Federal Election Commission, "Contribution limits," accessed May 8, 2023 | |||||
Presidential candidate committees are required to file regular campaign finance reports disclosing "all of their receipts and disbursements" either quarterly or monthly. Committees may choose which filing schedule to follow, but they must notify the FEC in writing and "may change their filing frequency no more than once per calendar year."[24]
For contribution limits from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.
| Federal contribution limits, 2019-2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate committees | Political action committees | State and district party committees | National party committees | Additional national party committee accounts | |
| Individual | $2,800 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $33,500 per year | $106,500 per account, per year |
| Candidate committee | $2,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Multicandidate political action committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | $5,000 per year (combined) | $15,000 per year | $45,000 per account, per year |
| Other political action committee | $2,800 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $35,500 per year | $106,500 per account, per year |
| State and district party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| National party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $2,800 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $2,800 to the same candidate committee for the general election. Source: Federal Election Commission, "Contribution limits," accessed August 8, 2019 | |||||
| Federal contribution limits, 2015-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate committees | Political action committees | State and district party committees | National party committees | Additional national party committee accounts | |
| Individual | $2,700 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $33,400 per year | $100,200 per account, per year |
| Candidate committee | $2,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Multicandidate political action committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | $5,000 per year (combined) | $15,000 per year | $45,000 per account, per year |
| Other political action committee | $2,700 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $33,400 per year | $100,200 per account, per year |
| State and district party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| National party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $2,700 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $2,700 to the same candidate committee for the general election. Source: Federal Election Commission, "The FEC and Federal Campaign Finance Law," updated January 2015 | |||||
Election agencies
Federal Election Commission
- 1050 First Street, NE
- Washington, D.C. 20463
- Telephone: 800-424-9530
- Email: info@fec.gov
Iowa Secretary of State, Elections/Voter Registration
- First Floor, Lucas Building
- 321 E. 12th St.
- Des Moines, Iowa 50319
- Telephone: 515-281-0145
- Email: sos@sos.iowa.gov
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See also
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Iowa
- Presidential election, 2024
- Ballot access for presidential candidates
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Vote Smart, "Government 101: United States Presidential Primary," accessed July 12, 2023 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "votesmart" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ The Constitution of the United States of America, "Article 2, Section 1," accessed August 3, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Everything you need to know about how the presidential primary works," May 12, 2015
- ↑ FactCheck.org, "Caucus vs. Primary," April 8, 2008
- ↑ Iowa Code, "Title II, Chapter 43, Section 4," accessed July 12, 2023
- ↑ Iowa Code, "Title II, Chapter 43, Section 2," accessed July 12, 2023
- ↑ The Huffington Post, "What Is A Caucus? How The Iowa Caucus Works," January 3, 2012
- ↑ Fox News, "What Is a Caucus and How Does It Work?" January 2, 2012
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Archives.gov, "What is the Electoral College?" accessed August 25, 2015
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Archives.gov, "Who are the Electors?" accessed August 25, 2015
- ↑ Archives.gov, "Distribution of Electoral Votes," accessed July 12, 2023
- ↑ Iowa Code, "Title II, Chapter 54, Section 5," accessed July 12, 2023
- ↑ Iowa Code, "Title II, Chapter 39, Section 3," accessed July 12, 2023
- ↑ Iowa Code, "Title II, Chapter 45, Section 1," accessed July 12, 2023
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Iowa Code, "Title II, Chapter 44, Section 4," accessed July 12, 2023
- ↑ Iowa Code, "Title II, Chapter 44, Section 1," accessed July 12, 2023
- ↑ SSRN, "Sore Loser Laws and Democratic Contestation," accessed June 28, 2023
- ↑ Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, "“If You Ain’t First, You’re Last”: How State “Sore-Loser” Laws Make It Impossible For Trump To Run A Successful Third-Party Campaign If He Loses The Republican Primary," accessed June 28, 2023
- ↑ Iowa Secretary of State, "Candidate FAQ," accessed July 12, 2023
- ↑ This information comes from research conducted by Richard Winger, publisher and editor of Ballot Access News.
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "The FEC and Federal Campaign Finance Law," updated January 2015
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Quick Answers to Candidate Questions," accessed August 13, 2015
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2016 Reporting Dates," accessed June 17, 2022
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