— from San Juan County Communications —
Whew! You almost missed your chance to run for office. Fortunately, you’ll get a second chance. During this past week’s filing period, 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 week, a special three-day filing period is opened for only those offices for which no candidates filed.
The local races that will be open for filing are all local special purpose districts: school, port, water, cemetery, and sewer 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. And the first step to running is filing.”
San Juan County Elections Office will hold a special three-day filing period starting next Wednesday, May 24, and ending on Friday, May 26. 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 through 4 p.m. Friday. Paper Declarations of Candidacy will be accepted from 8 a.m. Wednesday through 4:30 p.m. Friday. The Online Candidate Filing Wizard and paper Declaration of Candidacy can both be found at www.sanjuanco.com/elections.
The following offices will be open during the three-day filing period:
- Shaw Island School District #10 School Board Director #1
- Port of Orcas Port Commissioner #2
- San Juan County Cemetery District #3 Cemetery Commissioner #2
- San Juan County Cemetery District #3 Cemetery Commissioner #3
- Cape San Juan Water District Water Commissioner #2
- Cape San Juan Water District Water Commissioner #3
- Eastsound Sewer & Water District Sewer & Water Commissioner #5
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I would like to note that most of the positions for office that were open were filed by only one person, generally the incumbent. That is truly unfortunate because the aspect of our voting rights that I believe is the most fundamental is the right to choose among candidates.
Whether the person who filed for this cycle was the incumbent or a new candidate for office, who should be commended for participating in our most precious Constitutional right, the reality is that those elections are completed.
Though a “write-in” could elect a candidate, that result does not plausibly happen. So, in fact, all that we are left with is a choice for just a few offices. I happen to have filed for a position that is contested. So here we go!!