District of Columbia Petition Signature Requirements (2026)

How many signatures you need to qualify for the ballot in District of Columbia, the 2026 petition filing windows, and how to validate your signatures against the District of Columbia voter file.

0.5%

Of enrolled voters — City Councilor

2026 filing windows have closed — confirm dates with your election authority.

Signature requirements by office

Office	Minimum signatures	% of enrolled voters	Details
Mayor, Attorney General, City Councilor (At-Large), U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative	—	1%
City Councilor	—	0.5%

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Official sources

Always confirm requirements and deadlines with the official District of Columbia election authority before you file:

District of Columbia Board of Elections

Frequently asked questions

How many signatures do I need to get on the ballot in District of Columbia?

District of Columbia signature requirements vary by office. Mayor, Attorney General, City Councilor (At-Large), U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative: 1% of enrolled voters; City Councilor: 0.5% of enrolled voters. See the full table above for all offices.

What is the 2026 petition filing deadline in District of Columbia?

Filing windows for District of Columbia have closed or vary by office. Create a free account and confirm dates with your election authority.

Can I validate District of Columbia petition signatures myself?

Yes. Petition Validator lets you upload petition pages and automatically matches each signer against the District of Columbia voter file — checking registration, address, and duplicates in seconds per signature. You can start free, no paid Victory Waves account required.

How does signature validation work?

You upload images of your petition pages; our system transcribes each signature and matches the signer's name, address, and date against official voter registration data to confirm they're a registered voter in the correct jurisdiction.

Last updated for the 2026 cycle on May 26, 2026. Always confirm requirements and deadlines with your state or local election authority.