A nomination petition is the method in which a registered democrat or republican get their name on a primary ballot. Petitions are typically available in our office approximately 3 weeks prior to the start of the circulation period.
(Third party candidates have a different process in which to have their name appear on the ballot. Please contact our office for further information, 717.240.6385.)
The Cumberland County Bureau of Elections will be accepting nomination petitions from candidates for the 2026 General Primary for local party committee person.
The FIRST DAY for candidates to circulate and file petitions is FEBRUARY 17, 2026*
The LAST DAY for candidates to circulate and file petitions is MARCH 10, 2026*
The LAST DAY for a candidate who has filed nomination petitions to withdraw is MARCH 25, 2026*
(*These dates are subject to change without notice.)
Place and Time of Filing
Petitions for local party committee person must be filed with the Cumberland County Bureau of Elections, 1601 Ritner Highway, Suite 201, Carlisle by the end of regular business hours, 4:30 pm, on the last day to circulate.
Appointments for filing petitions is not required but is recommended. Please click HERE or call our office at 717-240-6385 to schedule an appointment.
Online Petition Information
Nomination petitions for the above mentioned office(s) can be printed from our website. (State offices must obtain paperwork from the PA Department of State.) Please see below for complete details.
BEFORE USING THE NOMINATION PETITIONS AVAILABLE ONLINE, PLEASE NOTE: NOMINATION PETITIONS MUST BE PRINTED AS DUPLEX (TWO-SIDED, FRONT AND BACK, HEAD TO HEAD) ON PLAIN WHITE 8 1/2 x 11" (LETTER SIZE) PAPER. THIS REQUIREMENT CANNOT BE SATISFIED BY PRINTING EACH SIDE OF THE NOMINATION PETITION ON A SEPARATE SHEET OF 8 1/2 x 11" PAPER AND AFFIXING THE TWO SHEETS TOGETHER WITH A STAPLE OR PAPER CLIP.
If you are not able to satisfy these printing requirements, you MUST obtain paper copies of petitions from our office.
FAILURE TO REPRODUCE THE NOMINATION PETITION FORMS CORRECTLY WILL RESULT IN THE REJECTION OF THESE FORMS!
PLEASE CAREFULLY READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED WITH THE NOMINATION PETITIONS PRIOR TO CIRCULATION. If you have any questions or are unsure whether you have correctly printed any of the forms, please contact the Cumberland County Bureau of Elections at 717-240-6385.
For a complete set of petition instructions, click HERE
To print a fillable Nomination Petition, click HERE
To print a Candidate's Affidavit, click HERE
For a list of 2026 Important Election Dates, click HERE
To withdraw your name from the 2026 General Primary ballot, click HERE