1603.1 To obtain primary election ballot access, a candidate for the office of Delegate, Mayor, Attorney General, Chairman of the Council, At-Large Member of the Council, U.S. Senator or U.S. Representative shall submit a nominating petition that contains, at a minimum, the lesser of:

1. (a) Two thousand (2,000) valid signatures of registered qualified electors who are registered in the same political party as the candidate; or
2. (b) The valid signatures of one percent (1%) of registered qualified electors of the District who are registered in the same political party as the candidate as shown by the records of the Board as of the 144th day before the date of the primary election.

1603.2 To obtain primary election ballot access, a candidate for the office of Member of the Council elected from a ward shall submit a nominating petition that contains, at a minimum, the lesser of:

1. (a) Two hundred fifty (250) valid signatures of registered qualified electors who are registered in the same political party and ward as the candidate; or
2. (b) The valid signatures of one percent (1%) of registered qualified electors of the District who are registered in the same political party and ward as the candidate as shown by the records of the Board as of the 144th day before the date of the primary election.

1603.3 To obtain general or special election (Direct Access Nomination) ballot access, a candidate for the office of Delegate, Mayor, Attorney General, Chairman of the Council, At-Large Member of the Council, U.S. Senator, or U.S. Representative shall submit a nominating petition that contains, at a minimum, the lesser of:

1. (a) Three thousand (3,000) valid signatures of registered qualified electors in the District; or
2. (b) The valid signatures of one and one-half per cent (1.5%) of registered qualified electors of the District as shown by the records of the Board as of the 144th day before the date of the election.

1603.4 To obtain general or special election (Direct Access Nomination) ballot access, a candidate for the office of Member of the Council from a ward shall submit a nominating petition that contains the valid signatures of at least five hundred (500) registered qualified electors who are registered in the same ward as the candidate.

1603.5 To obtain ballot access, a candidate for the office of Member of the State Board of Education elected at-large shall submit a nominating petition that contains the valid signatures of at least one thousand (1,000) registered qualified electors.

1603.6 To obtain ballot access, a candidate for the office of Member of the State Board of Education elected from a ward shall submit a nominating petition that contains the valid signatures of at least two hundred (200) registered qualified electors who are registered in the same ward as the candidate.

1603.7 To obtain ballot access, a candidate for the office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner shall submit a nominating petition that contains the valid signatures of at least twenty-five (25) registered qualified electors who are registered in the same single-member district as the candidate.

1603.8 [REPEALED].

1603.9 [REPEALED].

SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 27 DCR 2763 (June 27, 1980), incorporating the text of Proposed Rulemaking published at 27 DCR 1929, 1948 (May 9, 1980); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 35 DCR 2006, 2020-21 (March 11, 1988); as amended by 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 61 DCR 7021 (July 11, 2014); as amended by the Ballot Access Modernization Amendment Act of 2016, effective October 8, 2016 (D.C. Law 21-0160; 63 DCR 10775 (August 26, 2016)); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 67 DCR 10944 (September 11, 2020); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 70 DCR 015793 (December 15, 2023).