Sec. 73.1940  Legally qualified candidates for public office.

    (a) A legally qualified candidate for public office is any person 
who:
    (1) Has publicly announced his or her intention to run for 
nomination or office;
    (2) Is qualified under the applicable local, State or Federal law to 
hold the office for which he or she is a candidate; and
    (3) Has met the qualifications set forth in either paragraph (b), 
(c), (d), or (e) of this section.
    (b) A person seeking election to any public office including that of 
President or Vice President of the United States, or nomination for any 
public office except that of President or Vice President, by means of a 
primary, general or special election, shall be considered a legally 
qualified candidate if, in addition to meeting the criteria set forth in 
paragraph (a) of this section, that person:
    (1) Has qualified for a place on the ballot; or
    (2) Has publicly committed himself or herself to seeking election by 
the write-in method and is eligible under applicable law to be voted for 
by sticker, by writing in his or her name on the ballot or by other 
method, and makes a substantial showing that he or she is a bona fide 
candidate for nomination or office.
    (c) A person seeking election to the office of President or Vice 
President of the United States shall, for the purposes of the 
Communications Act and the rules in 47 CFR chapter I, be considered 
legally qualified candidates only in those States or territories (or the 
District of Columbia) in which they have met the requirements set forth 
in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section: Except, that any such person 
who has met the requirements set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this 
section in at least 10 States (or 9 and the District of Columbia) shall 
be considered a legally qualified candidate for election in all States, 
territories, and the District of Columbia for the purposes of this Act.
    (d) A person seeking nomination to any public office, except that of 
President or Vice President of the United States, by means of a 
convention, caucus or similar procedure, shall be considered a legally 
qualified candidate if, in addition to meeting the requirements set 
forth in paragraph (a) of this section, that person makes a substantial 
showing that he or she is a bona fide candidate for such nomination: 
Except, that no person shall be considered a legally qualified candidate 
for nomination by the means set forth in this

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paragraph prior to 90 days before the beginning of the convention, 
caucus or similar procedure in which he or she seeks nomination.
    (e) A person seeking nomination for the office of President or Vice 
President of the United States shall, for the purposes of the 
Communications Act and the rules thereunder, be considered a legally 
qualified candidate only in those States or territories (or the District 
of Columbia) in which, in addition to meeting the requirements set forth 
in paragraph (a) of this section:
    (1) He or she, or proposed delegates on his or her behalf, have 
qualified for the primary or Presidential preference ballot in that 
State, territory or the District of Columbia; or
    (2) He or she has made a substantial showing of a bona fide 
candidacy for such nomination in that State, territory or the District 
of Columbia; except, that any such person meeting the requirements set 
forth in paragraphs (a)(1) and (2) of this section in at least 10 States 
(or 9 and the District of Columbia) shall be considered a legally 
qualified candidate for nomination in all States, territories and the 
District of Columbia for purposes of this Act.
    (f) The term ``substantial showing'' of a bona fide candidacy as 
used in paragraphs (b), (d) and (e) of this section means evidence that 
the person claiming to be a candidate has engaged to a substantial 
degree in activities commonly associated with political campaigning. 
Such activities normally would include making campaign speeches, 
distributing campaign literature, issuing press releases, maintaining a 
campaign committee, and establishing campaign headquarters (even though 
the headquarters in some instances might be the residence of the 
candidate or his or her campaign manager). Not all of the listed 
activities are necessarily required in each case to demonstrate a 
substantial showing, and there may be activities not listed herein which 
would contribute to such a showing.

[ 57 FR 27708 , June 22, 1992]