— from Milene Henley, San Juan County Auditor —
Whew! You almost missed your chance to run for office. Fortunately, you’ll get a second chance. During the candidate filing period in May, several of the offices open for filing had no candidates file. When no one files for an open office, it’s called a “void in candidacy.” When a void in candidacy occurs after a regular filing period, a special three-day filing period is opened for only those offices for whom no candidates filed.
The local races that will be open for filing are all local special purpose districts: fire, park & recreation, cemetery, and water districts. According to County Auditor Milene Henley, “These districts are vitally important to local communities, affecting all parts of local life. If you’re looking for a way to make a difference, run for a local elected office. The first step to running is filing.”
San Juan County Elections Office will hold a special three-day filing period starting next Wednesday, August 14, and ending on Friday, August 16. Persons interested in filing as a candidate for one of the offices below can do so online, by mail, by email, or in person.
- The Online Candidate Filing Wizard will be opened from 9 a.m. Wednesday, August 14 through 4 p.m. Friday, August 16.
- Paper Declarations of Candidacy will be accepted from 8 a.m. Wednesday, August 14 through 4:30 p.m. Friday, August 16.
- The Online Candidate Filing Wizard and paper Declaration of Candidacy can both be found at www.sanjuanco.com/elections.
The following offices will be available for filing during the three-day filing period:
- SJC Fire Protection District #5 Fire Commissioner 2
- Orcas Island Park & Recreation District Park & Recreation Commissioner 1
- Orcas Island Park & Recreation District Park & Recreation Commissioner 3
- Shaw Park & Recreation District Park & Recreation Commissioner 5
- San Juan County Cemetery District #3 Cemetery Commissioner 1
- San Juan County Cemetery District #3 Cemetery Commissioner 3
- Cape San Juan Water District Water Commissioner 1
- Cape San Juan Water District Water Commissioner 3
- Cattle Point Water District Water Commissioner 2
- Cattle Point Water District Water Commissioner 3
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