July 21, 2005

Officials prepared for active candidate filing week

Monday officially kicks off the fall election season, and officials expect long lines and hundreds of candidates to file for offices ranging from Metropolitan King County Council, Executive and Sheriff to smaller city council and school district races. With more than 329 county and local offices on the ballot this year, King County expects a lot of activity as candidates gear up their campaigns.

To appear on the fall election ballot, all candidates must file a declaration of candidacy in person or by mail no later than 4:30 p.m. Friday, July 29. Mail-in filings must include a notarized declaration of candidacy with the appropriate filing fee and must be in the hands of King County Election officials by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, July 29.

Please note: Late applications will not be accepted.

Like last year's "pick-a-party" primary, candidates filing for any of the 10 partisan races will self-designate as either a Republican or Democratic candidate and appear on a consolidated ballot for the September primary. Under the "pick-a-party" system, minor party and independent candidates will not file for office next week. Instead, minor party and independent candidates must be nominated at party conventions between August 13 and August 20. A notice of the convention must be published in a King County newspaper at least 10 days prior to the convention. Declarations of candidacy and convention documentation must be filed by 4:30 p.m. August 26 to appear on the General Election ballot. Minor party and independent candidates do not appear on the primary ballot.

In the event no candidate files for a contest, King County Elections will hold a three-day, special filing period from August 3 to August 5.

Quick tips for candidates filing for office:

To file for office, you must be registered to vote in that jurisdiction.
Bring photo identification with you and make your checks payable to King County Treasury. Credit cards are not accepted. For more information about filing fees, visit http://your.kingcounty.gov/elections/2005sep/2005_offices_subject_to_elections.pdf
For your declaration of candidacy to be valid, you must sign it in front of a notary or in the presence of a filing officer.
To appear in the King County Local Voters' Pamphlet, you must submit a photo and candidate statement by August 3. Local voters' pamphlets will be mailed beginning August 31. Learn more at http://your.kingcounty.gov/elections/2005sep/VPGuidelines2005.pdf
Filing fees are non-refundable. The last day to withdraw a candidate filing is Thursday, August 4 at 4:30 p.m. Withdrawals must be in writing and must be notarized.
All information, including phone numbers, submitted on the Declaration of Candidacy is public information. Your filing address will be published in the official Notice of Election.
If you have questions, county representatives will be available throughout filing week to distribute information and answer questions.
You may file your declaration of candidacy in-person at election headquarters from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 500 Fourth Avenue, Room 553 in the King County Administration Building.

For an up-to-date list of contests on the 2005 ballot and other candidate filing information, visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/electionsor call 206-296-1565.

Candidate filings will be posted online daily at 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. Visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/elections on Monday for details.

Updated: July 21, 2005

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