(1) Any candidate may place his or her name on the primary election ballot by filing a candidate filing form prescribed by the Secretary of State as provided in section 32-607. If a candidate for an elective office is the incumbent, the deadline for filing the candidate filing form shall be February 15 prior to the date of the primary election. No incumbent who resigns from elective office prior to the expiration of his or her term shall file for any office after February 15 of that election year. All other candidates shall file for office by March 1 prior to the date of the primary election. A candidate filing form may be transmitted by facsimile if (a) the transmission is received in the office of the filing officer by the filing deadline and (b) the original filing form is mailed to the filing officer with a legible postmark bearing a date on or prior to the filing deadline and is in the office of the filing officer no later than seven days after the filing deadline.
(2) Any candidate for a township office in a county under township organization, the board of trustees of a village, the board of directors of a reclamation district, the county weed district board, the board of directors of a public power district receiving annual gross revenue of less than forty million dollars, the school board of a Class II school district, or the board of an educational service unit may place his or her name on the general election ballot by filing a candidate filing form prescribed by the Secretary of State as provided in section 32-607 by August 1 prior to the date of the general election. A candidate filing form may be transmitted by facsimile for the offices listed in subdivision (1) of section 32-607 if (a) the transmission is received in the office of the filing officer by the filing deadline and (b) the original filing form is mailed to the filing officer with a legible postmark bearing a date on or prior to the filing deadline and is in the office of the filing officer no later than seven days after the filing deadline.
(3) Any city having a home rule charter may provide for filing deadlines for any person desiring to be a candidate for the office of council member or mayor.