Become a Candidate

• Citizen of the United States
• At least 18 years of age
• Qualified San Antonio voter by the filing deadline
• Resided in San Antonio for one year before filing your application
• Resided in the respective council district for at least 6 months before filing your application and continue to do so throughout the term of office.
  • Find your Council District
  • If your area was annexed into the City recently, you must have lived at your residence 6 months before annexation.
• Not have been mentally incapacitated by a final judgment of a court or have been finally convicted of a felony unless pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities of that felony conviction.
  • Successful completion of probation or parole does not make a convicted felon eligible to hold an elected office.

Secretary of State general requirements for candidacy filing.

Required Forms

• Campaign Treasurer Appointment Form (PDF)
• Instruction Guide for completing CTA(PDF, 454KB)
• Code of Fair Campaign Practices submission is voluntary(PDF, 69KB)
• Request for ID/Password to COSA Campaign Finance Electronic Filing System(PDF, 18KB) - Required Form to access the system – submit with or before candidate filing
• Application for a Place on the Ballot(PDF, 1MB)
• Two of the following residency documents with address matching that as noted on the Application for a Place on the Ballot:
  • Valid Texas Driver’s License or Identification Card
  • Valid Bexar County Voter Registration Certificate
  • Current utility bill
  • Most recent personal bank statement
  • Most recent government check
  • Most recent government document with name and address (original to be presented if it contains a photograph)
  • Most recent paycheck

Cost

Non-refundable Filing Fee of $100 payable to the City of San Antonio.

Payments accepted:

• Cash
• Personal Check
• Money Order

NOTE: Credit cards are not accepted.

Petition In Lieu of Filing Fee

Instead of the Filing Fee, you may submit the required number of petition signatures(PDF, 117KB).

Petition Form(PDF, 28KB)

The Petition Circulator is required to sign the Affidavit of Circulator on each petition they circulated. All signatures must be in ink.

All applications and supporting documents including the required filing fee of $100 or signed petitions are required to be submitted by 5 p.m. Friday, February 14, 2025. Staff will be available to notarize the application free of charge with proper identification.

When to File

Applications for a Place on the Ballot will be accepted starting at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 15, 2025.

Where to File

You can file by mail or in person at:

Office of the City Clerk
100 W. Houston, Concourse Level
San Antonio, Texas 78205
Directions

Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Take Elevators the City Tower Concourse “C” Level and visit the Information Desk. Tell the receptionist you are seeking the Office of the City Clerk to file an Application for a Place on the Ballot.

Applications will be processed in the order of the applicant’s arrival. Please allocate enough time for parking, City building security protocols, and the processing of your application which is estimated to take 30 minutes.

Parking

City Tower Parking Garage
115 N. Main St.
San Antonio, Texas 78205
Directions

Take Elevators the City Tower Concourse “C” Level and visit the Information Desk for parking validation.

Texas Ethics Commission Campaign Finance Regulations

• Regulating Political Funds and Campaigns - Title 15, Election Code
• Texas Ethics Commission Rules
• Texas Ethics Commission Rules on Fundraising(PDF, 552KB)
• Texas Ethics Commission Rules on Advertising

Campaign Finance Regulations

• COSA Campaign Finance Electronic Filing System
• Municipal Campaign Finance Code (as of May 2024)
• City of San Antonio Ethics Code (as of May 2024)

Rules on Political Activity and Placement of Signs at City Facilities

• City of San Antonio, Chapter 28 of the City Code, Placement of Political Signs(PDF, 294KB)
• Texas Department of Transportation Policy on Political Signs
• Department of Human Services Policy on Political Activity at Senior and Community Centers(PDF, 291KB)
• San Antonio Public Library Policy on Posting of Campaign Signs on Library Property(PDF, 190KB)