Any citizen of Martinsburg who is entitled to vote in the City of Martinsburg election can run for a seat as Mayor or Councilperson. Councilpersons must reside and be registered to vote in the ward for which they are running, unless running at-large, in which case they must reside and be registered to vote in any ward of the City of Martinsburg. The Mayor is also an at-large seat.

Those interested in seeking election must submit a nominating petition to the City Recorder between February 1 and February 28 of the year of the election. Fifty (50) signatures from registered voters of the City are required to run for Mayor, and twenty-five (25) signatures of registered voters from the desired ward (or of the City for at-large candidates) are required to run for Council. Candidates are also required to submit a filing fee, which is set by Council prior to the filing period. The filing fee is set by Council each election year and has historically been $2 for Council and $10 for Mayor.

All candidates are required to follow Secretary of State guidelines as well as City guidelines. It is highly recommended that all candidates review these guidelines on the Secretary of State's website, especially for information on campaign finance. As the Chief Election Official for the City of Martinsburg, the City Recorder is available to offer some guidance, however, it is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure that all federal, state and local regulations are followed.