Independent Candidate Information
THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING PETITIONS FOR INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES NOMINATIONS FOR THE NOVEMBER 4, 2008 ELECTION IS (§115.329.1 RSMo 2000) is July 28, 2008.
NUMBER OF SIGNATURES REQUIRED:
- Statewide office: at least 10,000 registered Missouri voters (§115.321.3 RSMo 2000)
- District or county office: Registered voters in the district or county which is equal to at least 2% of voters of the total number of voters who voted at the last election for candidates for the office being sought or is equal to 10,000 voters, whichever is less. (§115.321.4 RSMo 2000)
The Secretary of State's Office can supply official election returns for state offices.
FORM OF PETITION 
: Format is provided in §115.325.3 RSMo 2000. Missouri statutes do not provide for pre-approval by the Secretary of State or election authority.
OTHER DOCUMENTS REQUIRED:
- A Declaration of Candidacy form must be filed with the petition. The form is provided in §115.327 RSMo 2000.
- A Declaration of Candidacy form for presidential elector must be in the form provided in §115.399 RSMo 2000.
- Proof of identity is required (for example, voter registration card or driver's license).
- Information required on the petition or attached to the petition. §115.321 RSMo 2000
- A copy of an affidavit filed with the Department of Revenue affirming that the candidate is not currently aware of any delinquency in the filing or payment of any state income taxes, personal property taxes, real property taxes on the place of residence, as stated on the declaration of candidacy, or is not a past or present corporate officer of any fee office that owes any taxes to the state, other than those taxes which may be in dispute. http://dor.mo.gov/tax/candidates
WHERE TO SUBMIT PETITIONS:
An independent candidate petition for a statewide office, congressional district, state senate district, state representative district, or circuit judge district, must be submitted to the Secretary of State's Office, Elections Division, James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center - 3rd Floor, Jefferson City, MO 65101. An independent candidate petition for a county office must be submitted to the election authority of the county. (§115.321.1 RSMo 2000)
The Declaration of Candidacy form submitted with the petition must be sworn to by the candidate (in person) before the election authority accepting the petition, a notary public or other officer authorized by law to administer oaths. (§115.327 RSMo 2000)STATUTORY PETITION REQUIREMENTS:
- Each petition shall consist of pages of uniform size.
- The space for signatures on either side of a petition page shall be no larger than eight and one-half by fourteen inches.
- Each petition page must contain signatures of registered voters from only one county.
- Each petition page must be sworn to by the circulator before a notary public.
- No voter may sign more than one petition for one office at any election.
- When submitted for filing, petitions must be numbered in sequence for each county.
(§§115.323 & 115.325 RSMo 2000)