Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Michigan
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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 Michigan, 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[edit]
2024[edit]
The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in Michigan in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Michigan, click here.
Presidential primary candidates[edit]
| Filing requirements for presidential primary candidates in Michigan, 2024[2] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Party | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| Michigan | Qualified parties | 13,000 | 0.5% of total votes cast in the state for the party's presidential candidate in the last election | N/A | N/A | 12/8/2023 | Source |
Independent presidential candidates[edit]
| Filing requirements for independent candidates in Michigan, 2024 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| Michigan | 12,000 | 30,000, with at least 100 signatures from each of at least half of the state's congressional districts | N/A | N/A | 7/21/2024 | Source |
For filing information from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.
2020[edit]
The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in Michigan in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Michigan, click here.
Presidential primary candidates[edit]
| Filing requirements for presidential primary candidates in Michigan, 2020[3] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Party | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| Michigan | Democratic | 11,345 | 0.5% of total votes cast in the state for the party's presidential candidate in the last election | N/A | N/A | 12/13/2019 | Source |
| Michigan | Republican | 11,398 | 0.5% of total votes cast in the state for the party's presidential candidate in the last election | N/A | N/A | 12/13/2019 | Source |
Independent presidential candidates[edit]
| Filing requirements for independent candidates in Michigan, 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| Michigan | 30,000 | 30,000, with at least 100 signatures from each of at least half of the state's congressional districts | N/A | N/A | 7/16/2020 | Source |
2016[edit]
The calendar below lists important filing deadlines in Michigan 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 | |
| November 13, 2015 | Ballot access | Secretary of state required to issue a "list of the individuals generally advocated by the national news media to be potential candidates" for parties entitled to participate in the primary | |
| November 17, 2015 | Ballot access | State party chairs required to file with the secretary of state lists of "individuals whom they consider to be potential presidential candidates" for their respective parties | |
| December 11, 2015 | Ballot access | Filing deadline for prospective primary candidates not named in one of the aforementioned lists | |
| March 8, 2016 | Election date | Presidential primary | |
| July 21, 2016 | Ballot access | Filing deadline for independent presidential candidates | |
| September 6, 2016 | Ballot access | Deadline for independent presidential candidates to submit names of their running mates and chosen presidential electors | |
| September 9, 2016 | Ballot access | Deadline for write-in presidential candidates | |
| November 8, 2016 | Election date | General election | |
| Source: Michigan Department of State, "Ballot Access Information for Presidential Candidates Seeking Office in 2016," April 2015 | |||
Qualifications[edit]
Article 2, Section 1, of the United States Constitution sets the following qualifications for the presidency:[4]
| “ | 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.[5] | ” |
| —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.[5] | ” |
| —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.[5] | ” |
| —United States Constitution | ||
Party nomination processes[edit]
- 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][6][7]
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 Michigan, certain political parties participate in the statewide presidential primary. Only a political party whose candidate for president won more than 5 percent of the total votes cast for that office in the most recent election may participate in the presidential primary election. The secretary of state is required to issue a listing of "individuals generally advocated by the national news media to be potential presidential candidates for each party's nomination by the political parties for which a presidential primary election will be held." The secretary of state must publish this listing by 4 p.m. on the second Friday in November in the year preceding the election.[8][9]
In addition, the state chairs of the political parties entitled to participate in the primary must prepare lists of "individuals whom they consider to be potential presidential candidates" for their respective parties. These lists must be filed with the secretary of state by 4 p.m. on the second Tuesday following the second Friday in November in the year preceding the election.[9]
The names of these candidates will be printed on the primary ballot. A prospective candidate who is not named on either of the aforementioned lists may petition for placement on the primary ballot. This petition must contain signatures equaling at least one-half of 1 percent "of the total votes cast in the state at the previous presidential election for the presidential candidate of the political party for which the individual is seeking this nomination." This petition must be filed with the secretary of state by 4 p.m. on the second Friday in December in the year preceding the presidential election.[9][10]
General election requirements[edit]
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:[11][12]
| “ | 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.[5] | ” |
| —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."[11][12]
Michigan was allocated fifteen electoral college votes in the 2024 presidential election, one fewer than it received in the 2012, 2016 and 2020 presidential contests.[13]
Political parties[edit]
A state-recognized political party must certify to the secretary of state the names and addresses of its candidates for president, vice president and presidential electors. This certification must be filed "within one business day after the conclusion of the party's state convention or national convention (whichever is later)."[14][15]
To learn more about the criteria a party must meet in order to qualify for state recognition, see this page.
Independent candidates[edit]
An independent presidential candidate must petition for placement on the general election ballot. At least 30,000 qualified voters must sign the petition. Of these, at least 100 signatures must come from at least one-half of the state's congressional districts. The petition must be filed with the secretary of state by 4 p.m. on the 110th day prior to the general election. In addition, the candidate must submit to the secretary of state the name of the candidate's running mate. The candidate must also identify his or her chosen presidential electors.[16][17][18][19]
Sore loser laws[edit]
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. Under Michigan state law, an independent candidate cannot "file a partisan nominating petition or filing fee, and shall not be nominated as a candidate by write-in vote or by a political party convention, caucus, or committee, for an office to be elected at the election for which the person has filed a qualifying petition or at an election held during the same calendar year as that election."[20][21][22]
Richard Winger, publisher of Ballot Access News, has argued that, generally speaking, "sore loser laws have been construed not to apply to presidential primaries." His analysis of state sore loser laws and their applicability in presidential elections can be accessed here.[23]
Write-in requirements[edit]
A write-in candidate for the presidency must file a declaration of intent form with the secretary of state in order to have his or her votes tallied. This form must include the names of the candidate, his or her running mate, and his or her presidential electors.[15]
Historical information[edit]
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 Michigan, there were 16 such instances during this period. See the table below for further details. The first column lists the state, the second lists the year, and the third lists the signature requirement. Columns four through nine list candidates and/or parties that met the requirement.[23]
| Filing requirements for independent and minor party candidates, 1894-2012 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Year | Requirement | Successful parties or candidates | |||||
| Michigan | 1940 | 7,757 | Socialist | Prohibition | Communist | Socialist Labor | -- | -- |
| Michigan | 1944 | 6,256 | Socialist | American First | Socialist Labor | -- | -- | -- |
| Michigan | 1948 | 9,880 | Progressive | Socialist | Socialist Labor | Socialist Workers | -- | -- |
| Michigan | 1952 | 9,867 | Progressive | Prohibition | Socialist Labor | Socialist Workers | -- | -- |
| Michigan | 1956 | 10,874 | Prohibition | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Michigan | 1960 | 12,708 | Prohibition | Socialist Labor | Socialist Workers | Independent American | Tax Cut | -- |
| Michigan | 1964 | 14,896 | Socialist Labor | Socialist Workers | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Michigan | 1968 | 13,371 | American | Socialist Workers | Socialist Labor | New Politcs | -- | -- |
| Michigan | 1972 | 14,239 | Socialist Labor | Socialist Workers | Communist | -- | -- | -- |
| Michigan | 1976 | 17,674 | Libertarian | McCarthy | U.S. Labor | Socialist Workers | Socialist Labor | -- |
| Michigan | 1992 | 25,646 | Libertarian | Natural Law | R. Perot | -- | -- | -- |
| Michigan | 1996 | 30,891 | Reform | Natural Law | Soc. Equal | -- | -- | -- |
| Michigan | 2000 | 30,272 | Green | Taxpayers | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Michigan | 2004 | 31,776 | R. Nader | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Michigan | 2008 | 38,024 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Michigan | 2012 | 32,261 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Campaign finance requirements[edit]
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.[24][25]
| 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."[26]
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 administration agencies[edit]
Election agencies[edit]
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Michigan can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
Michigan County Clerks
Michigan Department of State, Bureau of Elections
- Richard H. Austin Building, First Floor
- 430 W. Allegan St.
- Lansing, Michigan 48918
- Phone: 800-292-5973
- Email: elections@michigan.gov
- Website: https://www.michigan.gov/sos
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
- Washington, DC 20001
- Phone: 301-563-3919
- Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
- Email: clearinghouse@eac.gov
- Website: https://www.eac.gov
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Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Vote Smart, "Government 101: United States Presidential Primary," accessed August 1, 2023 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "votesmart" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ A candidate is only required to petition for ballot placement if he or she is not automatically placed on the ballot by the secretary of state or the chairpersons of the parties.
- ↑ A candidate is only required to petition for ballot placement if he or she is not automatically placed on the ballot by the secretary of state or the chairpersons of the parties.
- ↑ The Constitution of the United States of America, "Article 2, Section 1," accessed August 3, 2015
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 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
- ↑ Michigan Election Law, "Section 168.613a," accessed August 1, 2023
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Michigan Election Law, "Section 168.614a," accessed August 1, 2023
- ↑ Michigan Election Law, "Section 168.615a," accessed August 21, 2023
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Archives.gov, "What is the Electoral College?" accessed August 25, 2015
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Archives.gov, "Who are the Electors?" accessed August 25, 2015
- ↑ Archives.gov, "Distribution of Electoral Votes," accessed September 16, 2015
- ↑ Michigan Election Law, "Section 168.42," accessed August 1, 2023
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Michigan Department of State, "Ballot Access Information for Presidential Candidates Seeking Office in 2024," accessed August 1, 2023
- ↑ Michigan Election Law, "Section 168.544f," accessed August 1, 2023
- ↑ Michigan Election Law, "Section 168.590b," accessed August 1, 2023
- ↑ Michigan Election Law, "Section 168.590c," accessed August 1, 2023
- ↑ Michigan Election Law, "Section 168.590d," accessed August 1, 2023
- ↑ SSRN, "Sore Loser Laws and Democratic Contestation," accessed August 1, 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 August 1, 2023
- ↑ Michigan Election Law, Section 168.590g," accessed August 1, 2023
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 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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