Candidates

You must be a registered voter in Worcester.

• Councilor At-Large: Any voter is eligible to hold the office of councilor at-large if they shall have resided in the City for a period of at least one year.
• District Councilor: A district councilor at the time of their election shall be a voter of the district from which they are elected and shall have resided therein for a period of at least one year.
• School Committee: Any voter is eligible to hold the office of school committee member, provided, however, that they shall have resided within the City for one year immediately prior to the election.

Requirements to Hold Local Office - English & Spanish

Request nomination papers from the offices of the Board of Election Commissioners, Room 208, City Hall.

State and Federal candidates for election in November file nomination papers in order to have their names printed on the ballot. Most often, candidates gain access to the general election ballot in one of the following two ways:

• A candidate who is a member of a party may be nominated in a state primary; OR
• A non-party candidate may run in the state election only.

For each office, state law has assigned a minimum number of certified signatures required for ballot access. For example, candidates for state representative must submit at least 150 certified signatures, while candidates for state senator are required to submit at least 300 certified signatures. For a complete listing of signature requirements and additional information, please see the candidate guide.

How to Run for Office in MA

Candidates may request nomination papers from the office of the Board of Election Commissioners, Room 208, City Hall.

The following is intended to assist local candidates and elected officials with campaign finance law and its requirements. If you need further assistance please contact the City of Worcester Election Office.

Laws & Regulations

• Campaign Finance Law Changes
• Depository Candidates & Committees
• Candidates for Municipal Office (Non-Depository)

Organization & Disclosure Forms

• Campaign Finance Report
• Municipal Change of Treasurer
• No Financial Activity
• Statement of Organization

City Council

City Council candidates submit their Finance Reports to the State of Massachusetts. To view the Finance Reports for the City of Worcester's City Council candidates, please visit the Office of Campaign and Political Finance.

School Committee

School Committee candidates submit their Finance Reports to the City of Worcester. Candidates must submit Campaign Finance Reports eight days prior to the Preliminary Election, eight days prior to the Municipal Election and an end-of-year report.

Below each election year is a list of candidates' Finance Reports as submitted to the Office of the City Clerk.

• School Committee District Boundaries

Combined Map of District School Committee and City Council Lines:

• School Committee District and Council District Boundaries
• School Committee District and Council District Boundaries with School Facility Locations

Note: 2010 Worcester City Council District Lines are available at Find My Councilor. Additionally, please use our School Committee Districts app for additional information.