1602.1 A nominating petition form shall be separately prepared and issued by the Executive Director or their designee for each candidate seeking nomination to the office of Delegate, Mayor, Chairman and Members of the Council of the District of Columbia, Attorney General, U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, Member of the State Board of Education, and Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner.

1602.2 The petition shall contain the following information:

1. (a) The name and address of the candidate, and the office to which the candidate seeks nomination;
2. (b) In the case of a District partisan office, either the candidate's political party, or 'independent';
3. (c) If the candidate is running from a ward or single-member district, a statement that all signatories shall be registered and be residents of the ward or single-member district from which the candidate seeks nomination;
4. (d) If the candidate is seeking nomination of a major party, a statement indicating that signers of the petition shall be of the same political party as the candidate;
5. (e) If the candidate is seeking direct access nomination, a statement indicating that any registered voter, regardless of party affiliation, may sign the petition; and
6. (f) A circulator's affidavit, providing space for the circulator of a nominating petition to record their name and address. By signing the affidavit, the circulator swears under oath or affirms that they:
7. (1) Are a qualified petition circulator;
8. (2) Personally circulated the petition sheet;
9. (3) Personally witnessed the signing of each signature on the petition sheet; and
10. (4) Inquired whether each signer is a registered voter in the District of Columbia, and where applicable, that the signer is a registered voter in the same political party and/or ward or single-member district as the candidate seeking nomination.

1602.3 A candidate shall be permitted to choose a paper and/or electronic nominating petition form. Unless specified, the laws and rules concerning the circulation of petitions, including, but not limited to, the qualifications of circulators, the validity of signatures, and challenges to petitions, shall apply regardless of the format of the petition.

1602.4 No nominating petition form shall be issued to any person other than the candidate unless the Board receives written notice from the candidate which authorizes the Board to release petitions in their name. The authorization shall include the following:

(a) Candidate's name;

(b) Office which the candidate seeks and political party, if the office sought is partisan; and

(c) Candidate's signature.

1602.5 Each circulator circulating an electronic petition shall register their device in-person at the Board's office. The circulator shall provide a unique and valid email address for account registration and device authentication. No circulator shall have a registered account for electronic petition circulation unless their device has been authenticated.

SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 36 DCR 8364, 8366 (December 15, 1989); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 44 DCR 689 (February 7, 1997); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 61 DCR 625 (January 24, 2014); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 65 DCR 5644 (May 18, 2018); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 69 DCR 001132 (February 11, 2022); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 70 DCR 015793 (December 15, 2023).