The people on this site got there in different ways. Some ran for office, some were appointed, and some pushed from the outside. Here’s where to start where you live, from a seat on the ballot to a day at the polls.
Groups that help people run, from school board to the state legislature. Each says where it stands, so you know what you’re signing up for.
Progressive
For young progressives (Millennials and Gen Z) thinking about a first or second run for local or state office.
You get a call with staff and other would-be candidates, then online trainings, referrals, mentors, and a national network.
Progressive
For working people (nurses, drivers, organizers) who want to run as a Working Families Democrat or independent; the party has its own ballot line in New York.
You get a sign-up to learn the basics of running and how to seek the party's backing, plus training and a network.
Progressive
For Democratic women thinking about running for office.
You get a free 90-minute intro session, and state programs such as Emerge Virginia's six-month, 70-hour candidate course.
Progressive
For progressive Black candidates running at the local, state, or federal level.
You get an endorsement, with training, technical help, and fundraising support; applications for 2027 races open Dec. 1, 2026.
Labor union
For teachers and school staff in the National Education Association who are running or thinking about it.
You get a three-day union training on vote goals, your pitch, and building a slate of candidates.
Nonpartisan
For women and gender-expansive people who want to run, of any party.
You get an online library of worksheets, videos, and guides for planning and running a campaign.
Nonpartisan
For immigrants, refugees, and children of immigrants thinking about public office.
You get a weekend training on your stump speech, fundraising, and messaging; $150, with some scholarships.
Nonpartisan
For LGBTQ+ people thinking about running, and the people who staff their campaigns.
You get a free one-day Candidate & Campaign 101 and multi-day campaign bootcamps (with a fee).
Who can hold each office, the petition rules for party and independent candidates, and the filing calendar.
Labor union
For members of New York State United Teachers who want to run, from school board to the Legislature.
You get training and help from the union's regional political organizers for members who run.
Paid for training and for each day you work; you're assigned in your own county, and the sign-up form goes to your county board of elections.
Petition forms and guidelines, the filing calendar, campaign finance reports, and where to file in each borough.
Public money for city races: each NYC resident's donation is matched 8 to 1 on up to $250 ($175 for City Council), so small donations go much further.
Apply online or on paper to your Brooklyn community board; open to New Yorkers 16 and up, unpaid, about 6 to 8 hours a month; 2027 applications due Feb. 8, 2027.
How Bronx community boards work and who gets appointed; unpaid seats, with applications reopening at the end of each year.
What Manhattan community board members do and how to apply; two-year unpaid terms, with a monthly board meeting and at least two committees.
How to join a Queens community board if you're 16 or older; unpaid two-year terms, with the next application period opening in early January 2027.
Apply online or by mail to a Staten Island community board if you live, work, or have a stake in the district; 16- and 17-year-olds can apply.
The list of more than 200 city boards and commissions the mayor appoints, with a form to send your resume and say you want to serve.
A volunteer committee that advises the city's program of poll-site interpreters for voters with limited English; applications are taken on a rolling basis, members meet at least every three months, and speaking a second language helps but isn't required.
Paid poll work as an inspector, interpreter, or 17-year-old poll worker; up to $2,750 for up to 10 days of work; apply online or on paper.
The step-by-step list for getting on a Virginia ballot: who qualifies, the forms, voter petitions, fees, and deadlines, with a guide for each office.
Labor union
For VEA members in Virginia's public schools who are thinking about running for state or local office.
You get a workshop, on request, on whether you're ready, Virginia election and campaign-finance law, organizing, and fundraising.
How to apply online for the roughly 900 seats the governor fills each year on state boards; most boards meet about four times a year.
How to sign up to work the polls anywhere in Virginia, with training before Election Day; pay depends on your role and your city or county, and the state says not every officer is paid.
A printable application to join the up-to-30-member public committee that advises the region's planning and transportation boards; open to residents of the 17 member cities and counties, it meets six times a year, for three-year terms.
A volunteer committee of up to 14 riders, with at least one from each city HRT serves, that tells HRT how to fix service problems; it meets every other month, and you ask HRT Customer Relations at 757-222-6000 about joining.
An online application for high school students (grades 9 to 12) in the six cities HRT serves; a one-year term with a meeting every month.
The basic qualifications to run, with links to the state's candidate bulletin for each office, the filing forms, campaign finance reporting, and the city's political sign rules.
The current list of open seats, application deadlines and the online application, which goes to the City Clerk.
An interest form to work at a precinct near your home; $240 for Election Day and $25 for a training class, working from 5 a.m. until about 8 p.m.
When you can file to run, the campaign committee, bank account, and finance-report rules you'll have to follow, and a link to the state's full candidate guide.
A link to current vacancies and the application for the county's committees, councils, boards, and commissions, where more than 150 residents volunteer; questions go to County Administration at 804-693-4042.
How to apply: pick up the forms at the Elections & Voter Registration office, and the Electoral Board will reply before the next election with training details if you're needed; the page doesn't list pay.
How to become an officer of election (poll worker) in Hampton, from the city registrar.
An online questionnaire for anyone who wants to serve on a county board, committee, or commission; questions go to County Administration at 757-365-6204.
The forms to apply as an officer of election in Isle of Wight County and a short Poll Working 101 video; the page doesn't list pay.
The county’s boards and commissions, with how to apply to serve on one.
How to sign up to work the polls as an officer of election in James City County.
How appointments to nearly 45 city boards work, with a link to the online Board Bank application; you must live in Newport News and pass a background check, and City Council appoints every quarter.
The sign-up link for registered Virginia voters to work the polls from 5 a.m. until the count is done; $200 for an officer of election, up to $275 plus $20 for training for a chief officer.
The current vacancy list and the online application for more than 50 city boards and commissions; City Council reviews applications every quarter and keeps them on file for a year.
The interest form for working Norfolk's polls; paid, with a $200 base rate that includes training and more for pollbook officers and chiefs; you stay the whole day, and polls are open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
A printable Board Bank application for U.S. citizens registered to vote in Poquoson, covering 14 boards from the Planning Commission to the Wetlands Board; you turn it in, or a resume and cover letter, at the City Manager's Office.
The registrar's page, which links at the top to the state's sign-up form for election officials; it doesn't list pay or training, so call the office at 757-868-3070.
What each city board and commission does, a link to the current vacancy list, and an application you can fill out online or print.
The city's page for working the polls, with training videos; the city asks people who want to serve as an officer of election to contact the Registrar's office.
Who can run for city council and school board, which borough seats are on the ballot, how many petition signatures each office needs, and the city's rules for campaign finance and political signs.
The city's boards, commissions, and council committees; the page has no application, so ask the City Clerk's office, which handles appointments, at 757-514-4018 or council@suffolkva.us.
The online application to work the polls if you're a registered Virginia voter; $250 to $350 for Election Day depending on your role, plus $35 for training, from about 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Where to get candidate filing forms, a tool to check which election district you live in, when each local office is next on the ballot, and the campaign finance reporting rules.
The application City Council draws from to fill seats on about 60 boards, commissions, and committees; open to Virginia Beach residents who are registered voters, and kept on file for five years.
The online application to be an election official; $240 for Election Day plus $25 for a three-hour training; you must be 18 or older and a Virginia voter, and stay from 5 a.m. until the polls close and results are in.
The online application for city residents to serve on city and regional boards; applications are taken any time and City Council reviews them when a seat opens.
How to become one of the 40-plus election officers the city needs for a general election, with full-day and half-day shifts; registered voters are paid $150, which covers a two-hour training class and Election Day.
The online Board Bank application, the list of current vacancies, and a guide to each board's requirements and meeting times; about 200 residents serve, appointed by the Board of Supervisors, and applications stay on file for a year.
A link to the state's sign-up form for working York County's polls; the page doesn't list pay or training.
Links checked November 12, 2026. We list groups across the spectrum and say where each one stands. Know one we should add, or a link that’s out of date? Tell us.