As part of its mission to support democracy and educate voters, LWVN has developed new resources for people who are considering running for elected office and/or working on political campaigns. Now more than ever we need good people to run for political office. The goal is to provide the type of information previously delivered in LWVN’s “Don’t Just Stand There, Run!” program but in a way that is available to a wider audience.
Our efforts are supported by the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts (LWVMA), which is also developing content on running for office, starting with a video on campaign finance linked below.
See our Press Release.
As and if additional resources become available, we will post them here.
All questions can be sent HERE.
Secretary of State Resources
If you are interested in running for a city or town office, you should contact your local election office to learn about the specific requirements and deadlines for your upcoming municipal election. Municipal elections are run by local election officials and ballot access requirements vary by community.
If you are interested in running for an office that is elected on the state ballot, read information from the Secretary of State’s website HERE.
LWVMA Resources for Candidates and Campaigns
In a video produced by the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, Jason Tait, education director for the Office of Campaign and Political Finance, explains the steps candidates in local elections need to take to meet campaign finance regulations. View the 25 minute video, “Run for Office: Campaign Finance.”
LWVN Resources for Candidates and Campaigns
- View our The League Presents, “How to Run for Office, Part I“, featuring three former elected officials discussing what it is like to run for, and serve in, office.
- View our The League Presents, “How to Run for Office, Part II”. Hear more from former city councilor Alicia Bowman and former School Committee member Kathy Shields about what it takes to run for office in Newton.
- view our The League Presents, “How to Run for Office, Part III”. Hear more from former city councilor Alicia Bowman and former School Committee member Kathy Shields about what it takes to run for office in Newton.
- Read our document, How to Run for Office, laying out the key steps to a well-run campaign.
- See the Campaign Finance Overview, for an idea of how much it might cost to run for office.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Run for Office
Other Resources for Candidates and Campaigns
On April 28, 2026, LWVN joined together with other civic oriented local organizations for the 2026 Newton Civic Spotlight, a youth-organized event for local middle school and high school students aimed at demystifying local government and sharing information with Newton’s civic and community organizations. At that event, one of our current City Councilors, Cyrus Dahmubed, spoke about his experience running for office. We thought his power point slide on why and how he decided to run for office was informative and could serve as a resource for other persons interested in running for office.
Here is that slide:
