Missouri candidates for city council, alderman, school board and special district boards can lose their place on the April 6, 2027 ballot for reasons that have nothing to do with votes. The most common are paperwork and eligibility problems: a missing or false tax affidavit, unpaid taxes, campaign reports still owed from an earlier race, a personal financial disclosure not filed by January 19, 2027 (with removal from the ballot after January 26, 2027), a felony record, filing for two offices, and not meeting the age or residency rules for the office.
Each mistake below comes with the statute behind it and what to do about it. All rules come from the Missouri Revised Statutes (RSMo). Dates marked "computed" are derived from a statutory formula. This is not legal advice; if you think one of these may apply to you, talk to your filing officer, the Missouri Ethics Commission (MEC) or an election attorney well before filing opens on December 15, 2026.
For the full process, see our guide to running for local office in Missouri.
1. Filing without the tax affidavit
Every candidate for public office, other than party committee candidates, must file the Affirmation of Tax Payments and Bonding Requirements with the Missouri Department of Revenue and include a copy with the declaration of candidacy (RSMo 115.306.2). The Department of Revenue's version is Form 5120, the Candidate's Affidavit of Tax Payments and Bonding Requirements, available at dor.mo.gov/taxation/individual/candidates.html. The Secretary of State's 2026 candidate guidance lists proof of this affidavit, along with proof of identity, as required at filing.
What to do: file the affidavit with the Department of Revenue in November or early December, keep a copy, and bring it with you on filing day. Do not count on finishing it at the counter.
2. Being behind on taxes, or signing an affidavit that is not accurate
A candidate is disqualified if delinquent in state income taxes, personal property taxes, municipal taxes, or real property taxes on the residence listed on the declaration. The same applies to a past or present corporate officer of a fee office that owes state taxes (RSMo 115.306.2).
The affidavit is a sworn statement, so accuracy matters. If someone files a complaint, the Department of Revenue investigates. If the affirmation is false, the candidate has 30 days to pay any undisputed taxes. A candidate who does not pay is disqualified from the current election and barred from filing again for an entire election cycle (RSMo 115.306.2).
What to do: before you sign, check your state income tax status, your personal property tax receipts, and the real property tax on the home you will list. Pay or resolve anything outstanding first.
3. Overlooking city taxes and bills
Some cities add their own tax rules. In third class cities, no one in arrears for unpaid city taxes may be elected or appointed to any city office (RSMo 77.380). In the City of St. Louis, state law adds collector receipts or no-tax-due statements (RSMo 115.306.2), and the Board of Election Commissioners requires a Collector of Revenue clearance showing no delinquent taxes or water and refuse bills, plus a sworn affidavit.
What to do: ask your city clerk what clearance, if any, your city requires, and get it before the filing window. In St. Louis, call the Board of Election Commissioners at 314-622-4336.
4. Leaving a campaign report unfiled from an earlier race
No person may file for any office until all campaign disclosure reports required for all prior elections have been filed. A winner who has not filed required reports may not take office until they are filed (RSMo 130.071).
It can affect someone who ran years ago, formed a committee, and stopped filing after the election. It also applies to write-in candidates; the Kansas City Election Board lists "no outstanding campaign disclosure reports due from any prior elections" as a write-in qualification.
What to do: if you have ever run for office in Missouri, look up your committee's filing history with the MEC now. If a report is missing, file it before December 15.
5. Missing the personal financial disclosure
Candidates for an office of a political subdivision with an annual operating budget over $1 million must file a personal financial disclosure, also called a financial interest statement, with the MEC. The exception is a subdivision that adopts its own conflict-of-interest ordinance or resolution every two years by September 15 of the preceding year and files it with the MEC (RSMo 105.483, 105.485).
The deadlines are firm:
- Due: no later than 14 days after filing closes, which is Tuesday, January 19, 2027 (computed). It covers the 12 months before the close of filing (RSMo 105.487). Late statements cost $10 per day (RSMo 105.963).
- Removal: if the statement is still not filed by close of business on the 21st day after the last day of filing, Tuesday, January 26, 2027 (computed), the MEC notifies the filing official that the candidate is disqualified, and the name is removed from the ballot (RSMo 105.492).
When you file your declaration, the filing official must give you written notice of this obligation, and you sign an acknowledgment (RSMo 105.487).
What to do: read the notice you sign at filing. If it says you must file, put January 19 on your calendar and file early in January rather than on the last day.
6. Having a felony record
No person may qualify as a candidate for elective public office in Missouri who has been found guilty of or pled guilty to a felony under the laws of Missouri, the United States or another state (RSMo 115.306.1). A 2024 Missouri Supreme Court decision noted in the statute's annotations, Fletcher v. Young, holds that a governor's pardon does not cure a prior felony guilty plea for this purpose.
The same rule reaches write-in candidates for municipal office: no one may file a declaration of intent to be a write-in for a municipal office unless qualified to be certified as a candidate under RSMo 115.306 (RSMo 115.453).
What to do: if you have any felony history, including a plea, talk to an election attorney before you file.
7. Filing for two offices at once
No person may file for one office and then, without withdrawing, file for another office at the same election. A person who does so is disqualified (RSMo 115.351). A candidate already on the ballot also cannot file as a write-in for the same office without withdrawing (RSMo 115.453).
This can happen when a city council seat and a school board seat are both on the April ballot and a candidate decides late to switch.
What to do: choose one office before you file. If you change your mind, withdraw from the first office properly before filing for the second, and ask your filing officer how to do that.
8. Not meeting the age, residency or citizenship rules for the office
Each office has its own qualifications, and a declaration is a sworn statement that you meet them. Some examples:
| Office | Requirement | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Third class city councilman | At least 21 before taking office; U.S. citizen; city inhabitant one year; ward resident six months | RSMo 77.060 |
| Third class city mayor | At least 30; U.S. citizen; city resident two years | RSMo 77.230 |
| Fourth class city alderman | At least 18; U.S. citizen; city resident one year; ward resident at filing and while serving | RSMo 79.070 |
| Fourth class city mayor | At least 25; U.S. citizen; city resident one year | RSMo 79.080 |
| Seven-director school board | U.S. citizen; resident taxpayer; district resident one year before the election; at least 24 | RSMo 162.291 |
| Fire protection district director | District resident and voter one year; over 24 | RSMo 321.130 |
| Ambulance district director | U.S. citizen; district resident two years; at least 24 | RSMo 190.050 |
Charter cities and the City of St. Louis set their own qualifications. A recent move, a birthday close to the election, or a home near a ward line are all worth checking.
What to do: find the statute or charter section for your office, read it with your own dates in mind, and ask your filing officer if anything is unclear.
What does not appear on this list
This list does not cover unpaid MEC late fees. The rules described above concern reports and statements that were never filed: the unfiled campaign report (RSMo 130.071) and the unfiled financial disclosure (RSMo 105.492). If you owe a late fee, ask the MEC how it affects your filing.
Missing the filing window is also not a disqualification, but it has the same result. Filing closes at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 5, 2027. Our guide to filing a declaration of candidacy in Missouri walks through filing day, and the Missouri April 2027 election calendar lists every deadline that follows.
Make sure your texting paperwork matches your campaign paperwork
Campaigns that plan to text supporters have one more set of paperwork, and it depends on the committee filings above. Political texting requires Campaign Verify, a nonprofit check that confirms to the mobile phone companies that a sender is a real campaign. It is open to committees with an EIN (a federal tax ID number) and a filing published by an election authority. Candidates with no committee are not eligible, and many small Missouri races qualify to run without one (RSMo 130.016), so decide early whether you will form a committee; our explainer on campaign committees for Missouri local candidates covers the rules.
In CampaignCNX+, the order is simple. First confirm that your committee's filing can be viewed online, on the MEC or your local election authority's website, and ask Campaign Verify Support if it is not. Then open your account, and CampaignCNX+ files your carrier registration with the mobile phone companies and guides you through the Campaign Verify request. Requests made on or after November 15, 2026 last until January 31, 2029. Approval is Campaign Verify's decision, so leave time before you need to send.
100 free SMS included. Your number is $5 a month, and nothing sends until it is bought. Start your CampaignCNX+ trial once your committee paperwork is in order.