Who decides which names reach your ballot. In most places, it isn’t voters—not at first. This episode follows a first-time candidate from the filing counter to the campaign grind to reveal the quiet filters that shape who can run: signature traps near ward lines, residency clocks, filing fees, and compliance portals that assume insider experience. Then come the “viability” gates—endorsements, debate thresholds, donor networks—that reward time and money most newcomers don’t have. Through scene-based reporting and plain explainers, we show how neutral rules can narrow your choices before the first yard sign appears. Finally, we lay out practical fixes any city or county can deploy without sacrificing integrity: plain-language start kits, extended filing hours, map tools on phones, public translation budgets, autosaving compliance, childcare at forums, small-donor support, and simple yearly data so the public sees where candidates fall off. The fairest test of a campaign begins when every resident can reach the starting line.
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