Running for Office

PRIMARY ELECTION - August 4, 2026

GENERAL ELECTION - November 3, 2026

The opening date to file a declaration of candidacy for the primary election is Tuesday, February 24, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. (last Tuesday in February prior to the election, RSMo 115.349.2)

Filing Procedures on February 24, 2026 for the August 4, 2026 Primary Election Jackson County, Missouri

Persons wishing to file a declaration of candidacy for the offices of County Executive, County Legislature or County Committeeman/Committeewoman, on opening day of filing, Tuesday, February 24, 2026, may do so at the Jackson County Courthouse, 415 E. 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

All filers must use the west entrance located on Oak Street, which will open at 7:00 a.m. Anyone wishing to file for office will be asked to form a single file line inside the building prior to proceeding through the security checkpoint.

An associate from the County Clerk’s Office will distribute numbers to those in line. Filers will then proceed to the second floor and form a line in numerical order outside the glass doors marked LEGISLATIVE OFFICES.

The County Clerk’s Office will open at 8:00 a.m. to accept declarations. Representatives from each political party will be present to accept filing fees. To expedite this process, each filer should have their current voter I.D. card needed to complete the declaration form.

Filers for County Executive and County Legislature should additionally have the Department of Revenue (DOR) Form 5120, Candidate’s Affidavit of Tax Payments (not required for County Committee candidates). Each filer will approach the counter when their number is called, provide their filing fee receipt and complete all required paperwork. If you have any questions regarding this procedure, kindly contact Mary Jo Spino, Clerk of the County Legislature at mspino@jacksongov.org.

FORMS

• 2026 Application for Candidate Clearance(PDF, 188KB)
• Missouri Department of Revenue Form 5120 Information(PDF, 520KB)
• DOR Form 5120(PDF, 1MB)

The deadline for filing declaration of candidacy is Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at 5 p.m.  (last Tuesday in March prior to the election, RSMo 115.349.1)

Any person who has filed a declaration of candidacy for nomination and wishes to withdraw as a candidate shall file a written sworn statement of withdrawal in the County Clerk’s Office.

Withdrawal deadline for the August 4, 2026 Primary Election is Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. (11th Tuesday prior to the primary election per 115.359.1 RSMo.)

Withdrawal deadline for the November 3, 2026 General Election is Tuesday, August 18, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. (11th Tuesday prior to the general election per 115.359.1 RSMo.)

The ballot position will be determined by the date and time the candidate files his/her declaration of candidacy.

COUNTY LEGISLATURE
Each member of the legislature shall be a qualified voter in Jackson County for at least three years preceding his election (General), and a resident in his district for at least one year preceding his nomination (Primary).

COUNTY EXECUTIVE
The executive shall be a qualified voter in the county and shall have been domiciled in the county for at least three years before assuming office.

COMMITTEEMEN AND COMMITTEEWOMEN
A committeeperson shall be a registered voter and a resident of the county and committee district from which he/she is elected for one year next before his/her election (Primary).

The filing fee for County Legislature and County Executive is $100.00

The filing fee for committeeman or committeewoman is $25.00

Cash or check only. Make checks payable to the appropriate County Committee. (i.e. Jackson County Republican Committee, Jackson County Democratic Committee etc.)

It is the responsibility of each candidate to file the proper campaign disclosure reports covering the election cycle. These reports, deadlines and instructional materials are available from each election authority.  For more information, contact:

Kansas City Election Board
30 W. Pershing Road, Suite 2800
Kansas City, Missouri 64108
(816) 842-4820

OR

Jackson County Election Board
P.O. Box 296
Independence, Missouri 64051
(816) 325-4600

It is also necessary to file a personal disclosure report with the Missouri Ethics Commission, P. O. Box 1370, Jefferson City, MO 65102. Forms are available at https://mec.mo.gov/ or by contacting the Missouri Ethics Commission at 1-800-392-8660.

Filings can be electronically filed, mailed or hand delivered. This only pertains to candidates filing for County Legislature or County Executive.

On February 18, 2022, the Committee for Reapportionment delivered its report on Reapportionment to the Clerk of the County Legislature. On February 28, 2022, the Jackson County Counselor issued an opinion regarding the effective date of the Reapportionment Committee's report. Please read the County Counselor's Opinion here:

County-Counselor-Opinion-on-2022-Reapportionment.pdf(PDF, 321KB)

Interactive maps reflecting the Reapportionment Committee's report are available at the following links:

Printable maps of each of the districts are available below:

More information regarding the Committee For Reapportionment of the County Legislature is available here:

Candidacy declarations must be filed in person at the County Legislative Clerk's office in Kansas City:

Jackson County Courthouse
415 E. 12th Street
Legislative Clerk's Office (2nd Floor)
Kansas City, Missouri 64106