By: Rebecca Witherspoon
Have you ever felt the urge to step up and serve your local community—on the village board, city council, school board, or county board? If so, thank you. Running for office is a bold and commendable decision. Your leadership matters now more than ever.
If you’re anything like I was when I ran for my first office, I was overwhelmed, clueless to the process, and felt like I was navigating waters that were murky at best. But it doesn’t have to be that way. The process is actually much more simple than you would imagine and so long as you follow the appropriate laws in your state, you’ll do just fine. So where do you start and where do you find those appropriate laws? That’s what this article is all about.
One of the first things I did was to attend meetings of the board which I was considering running for. It was my “research and determine if I even want to do this” phase. I attended as many board and committee meetings as I was able to attend over the course of a few months to get a better handle on who the current board members were, what types of things they typically discussed, how they debated the issues, and how decisions were made. I also sat down with current board members who were willing to discuss how the board is run and to get first-hand knowledge of what it is like.
Don’t neglect doing these types of pre-campaign activities. It’s valuable time well spent, and doing so will give you an opportunity to observe and learn about the entire process and better understand what your voters are going to expect from you. It’s better to understand what you’re getting into before you run for office than to wait until after you are elected and find out it’s not what you expected. Meetings can sometimes be boring and at other times it can be a bit contentious. Always remember though that once the campaign is over and you are elected, you will need to be able to work with the other members of the board, even those that might not like you because of your views.
To help you navigate the process, I’ve put together a friendly guide that breaks down the steps to declaring your candidacy, forming a campaign committee, managing campaign finances, and complying with reporting requirements. This guide is tailored specifically for Wisconsin and ideal for first-time candidates. If you’re looking to run for office in a different state, then I encourage you to seek guidance from your county or state political party of choice to learn the ins and outs for the state where you want to run.
For official forms and the most up-to-date information, be sure to visit the Wisconsin Ethics Commission.
Step 1: Declare Your Candidacy
Once you decide which office to run for, your first task is filing a Declaration of Candidacy (Form EL-162). This form tells election officials which position you’re seeking and confirms your eligibility to run.
You’ll need to file this form with:
- Your municipal clerk (for village, town, or city office),
- The county clerk (for county board positions), or
- The school district clerk (for school board seats).
Important: Deadlines vary depending on the election cycle and office. It’s wise to check early with the appropriate clerk to avoid missing key dates.
Step 2: Register Your Campaign Committee
Before you raise or spend a single dollar, you must establish a campaign committee by filing a Campaign Registration Statement (Form CF-1). This is where you officially create a campaign committee—often with a name like “Friends of Jane Smith.” Once you have registered your campaign committee, you are required by campaign finance laws to place an attribute on all published materials (in whatever format they are published) promoting your campaign whether you paid actual money to have them created or not, whether they are physically printed or appear only on social media. If your campaign material is in audio format only, then towards the end of the audio you must have a statement that indicates “Paid for by ____” with the blank being the name of your campaign committee. Anything that promotes your campaign must have the attribute “Paid for by ____.” If someone else created a graphic or piece of literature promoting your campaign or created an event to promote your campaign, an attribute indicating who paid for it must be included. Examples of what to place the attribution on includes but is not limited to: campaign yard signs; announcement for a meet and greet promoting your campaign; campaign literature you hand out while knocking on doors; social media posts promoting your campaign (typically placed on any graphic); videos created to promote your campaign (typically placed near the end of the end of the video); any and all advertisements promoting your campaign; table banners, t-shirts, pens and buttons that promote your campaign; etc. If you’re not sure if something requires the attribution, use it anyway. Better to use the attribution too often than to be fined for violating campaign finance laws.
This form includes:
- Committee name and address
- Treasurer details (you can serve as your own treasurer, but it’s helpful to appoint someone else)
- Bank account information (where you’ll deposit all campaign funds)
Submit this form to the same clerk where you filed your Declaration of Candidacy.
Step 3: Get an EIN and Open a Campaign Bank Account
You need a separate bank account for campaign activities. To open this account, first apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS. It’s free and can be done online here.
Tips for completing the EIN application correctly:
- Entity Type: Select “Political Organization”
- Reason for applying: Choose “Started a new business”
- Business activity: Select “Other,” then choose “Political Organization”
Once you receive your EIN, use it to open a campaign bank account in your committee’s name. Only you and your treasurer should have signing access to this account.
Step 4: Track and Report Campaign Finances
Wisconsin law requires candidates and committees to track every donation and expense—no matter how small. Transparency is key.
Track all contributions:
- Donor’s full legal name, address, date, and amount—if amount is $200 or more occupation must also be provided
- No business/corporate donations allowed
- Anonymous donations are discouraged and strictly limited
Track all expenditures:
- Date, vendor, amount, and purpose
- Include in-kind contributions and corresponding expenses
Know your reporting thresholds:
- If you raise or spend more than $2,500 in a calendar year, you must file regular finance reports (Form ETHCF-2L)
- If you expect to stay under $2,500, you can file for an exemption (Form ETHCF-2NA), but must amend your status if you later exceed the threshold
When to file reports:
- Pre-primary
- Pre-election
- Semi-annual (January and July)
Check with your local filing officer to confirm exact deadlines and requirements.
Final Thoughts: Build Your Team and Get Support
Running for office can feel overwhelming—but it’s entirely doable. Having a few trusted friends and volunteers to help you with paperwork, finances, and community outreach can make all the difference. Do not neglect the pre-campaign work that will enable you to become more confident as a candidate and more competent once you are elected. Make sure you study the issues that are relevant to the board on which you are seeking a seat. When studying the issues, make sure you look at them from multiple perspectives and not just through a biased and one-dimensional or ideological lens. This will help you better clarify your own views and help you to become more confident. Sometimes it takes the hard questions from folks with whom you don’t always agree to help you grow and solidify your views. Don’t allow yourself to be pulled into debates about issues which you will have absolutely no authority. Stick to the issues that will be within the authority of the board on which you are seeking a seat.
You’ve got this. And thank you for considering public service. Our communities thrive when everyday people like you get involved.
Need Help?
Have questions? Drop a comment, reply to this post, or reach out via email. I’m here to support you on your journey.
DISCLAIMER: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal or tax advice. Always consult with an attorney, your local, county, or school district clerk’s office, the Wisconsin Ethics Commission, and the IRS for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
#RunForOffice #WisconsinPolitics #FirstTimeCandidate #HowToRunForOffice
Musings By Rebecca 