Eligible candidates

Eligible candidate qualifications for the pre-election period

We are required to provide certain services prior to Election Day to eligible candidates. Per the Presidential Transition Act of 1963, as amended (3 USC 102 Note), an eligible candidate must be either the candidate of a major party for the office of president or vice-president of the United States or be among the primary contenders for the general election of such offices. To be considered as an eligible candidate, a candidate must

• Meet constitutional requirements: This means they need to meet the requirements mentioned in Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution. These requirements include being a natural-born citizen, at least 35 years old, and a resident of the United States for at least 14 years.
• Be on enough state ballots: They should have their name on the ballots in a sufficient number of states so that the total number of electors chosen in those states is more than half of all the electors in the country.
• Have public support: They must show that a significant number of people across the country support them. This is determined, in part, through national public opinion polls. They need to be seen as one of the main contenders for the positions of president or vice president.

Eligible candidate’s transition team ethics plan

As a condition of receiving GSA support, the transition team of each eligible candidate must submit an ethics plan by the statutory deadline of Oct. 1, 2024. The Presidential Transition Act of 1963, as amended, specifies the minimum contents that the ethics plan must include. The transition team must also make the ethics plan publicly available. See the 2024 Eligible Candidates Ethics Plans.