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Civic Leadership

🗳️ Run For Office

Ready to lead? Free, nonpartisan tools and training to help you understand what it takes to run — for local, state, national, or international leadership — wherever in the world you're a citizen.

Explore What You Can Run For    All Rooms
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Start Here

Which Office Is Right For You?

Public office isn't just Congress or the Presidency — most first-time candidates start local. Here's the general ladder of leadership roles that exist in most countries, from neighborhood-level to international.

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Local & Municipal
School boards, city councils, town boards, mayors, and other community-level positions — the most common entry point, often nonpartisan and lower-cost to run for.
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Regional & Provincial
County commissioners, state or provincial legislatures, governors and premiers — roles that set policy across a wider region.
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National Legislature
Parliament, congress, or national assembly seats — where national laws and budgets are made.
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Head of State or Government
President, prime minister, or equivalent — the highest elected office in a country, with the steepest eligibility requirements.
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Judicial & Appointed Roles
In many places, judges, sheriffs, and other officials are elected too — often nonpartisan races with their own rules.
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International & Youth Bodies
UN Youth Delegate programs, model UN leadership, and international advocacy bodies — a way to build civic leadership experience before running for office at home.
U.S.-Focused

Free Training & Step-by-Step Guides

These organizations offer free courses, cheat sheets, and one-on-one guidance for first-time candidates in the United States. Most are nonpartisan.

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USA.gov — Elections & Voting
Official federal starting point — find your elected officials and general election info
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The White House
Official site of the executive branch — briefings, actions, and how the office works
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Run for Office
Nonpartisan tool that matches you to open local seats in your area
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Federal Election Commission (FEC)
Official federal agency for campaign finance rules and filing for federal office
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Run For Something
Recruits and supports young, diverse first-time candidates for local and state office
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Good Party
Free campaign tools and independent-candidate support, from filing to fundraising
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Mobilize
Find volunteer shifts and campaign events happening near you
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Lead Locally
Endorses and trains progressive candidates running for down-ballot local office
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She Should Run
Free 8-step cheat sheet plus online courses for women considering a run
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Vote Run Lead
Training programs focused on state and local candidates
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Emerge America
Candidate training programs for Democratic women, run state-by-state
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IGNITE National
Builds political ambition and leadership skills in young women and girls
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Veterans Campaign
Nonpartisan training workshops that prepare veterans to run for public office
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National Democratic Training Committee
Free trainings covering fundraising, communications, and campaign strategy
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The Campaign School at Yale
Nonpartisan, issue-neutral campaign training — national and global programs
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Center for American Women and Politics (Rutgers)
Research plus a national network of nonpartisan campaign training programs
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Ballotpedia
Ballot access rules, filing deadlines, and race-by-race candidate research
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NPR Life Kit — How to Run for Office
A plain-language audio and written guide for total first-timers
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Worldwide

Global & International Resources

Outside the U.S.? These bodies track electoral systems, candidacy rules, and civic participation across nearly every country — good starting points before you contact your own country's electoral authority.

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International IDEA
Intergovernmental body with electoral system data and country-level democracy tools
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ACE Electoral Knowledge Network
Encyclopedia of electoral systems and country-by-country election administration
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National Democratic Institute (NDI)
Civic and candidate training programs across dozens of countries
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International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)
Election administration guidance and country election guides worldwide
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Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
The global organization of national parliaments — structure and data for every member legislature
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UN SDG 16 — Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions
The UN Global Goal this room is aligned with — inclusive, accountable civic leadership
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Explore Globally

Find Resources for Your Country

Pick your country to see quick research links on how elections and candidacy work there. These are general starting points, not official guidance — always confirm requirements with your own country's electoral authority before you file.

Ready to Take the First Step?

Join the Movement

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Elections & Government Overview

Who Runs Elections There

Global Resources