Candidates interested in running for local office in the Nov. 5, 2013 Consolidated District Election can apply now, with the filing period starting this past Monday, July 15 and running through Friday, Aug. 9. Candidates, including incumbents, must file nomination documents during this period in order to file for office and appear on the ballot.
“We encourage citizens to learn about this applicant process and consider becoming a candidate for office,” said Stanislaus County Clerk Recorder and Registrar of Voters Lee Lundrigan.
The updated Clerk Recorder and Registrar of Voters website will post a daily revision of the list of candidates who file their nomination documents with the County Elections official during this period. This unofficial list can be viewed at stanvote.com under “candidates.”
The following offices are up for election but subject to change due to unforeseen vacancies that might occur affecting the current positions. The election will include municipal elections for the cities of Ceres and Modesto as well as various school and special districts.
Oakdale Joint Unified School District, Area 2, three board seats, nominated by division and elected at-large, includes an area shared with San Joaquin County.
Knights Ferry Elementary School District, three board seats.
Valley Home Joint School District, two board seats, includes an area shared with San Joaquin County.
Riverbank Unified School District, three board seats.
Oakdale Irrigation District, three director seats. Division 2 includes an area of San Joaquin County; Division 3; and Division 5.
Knights Ferry Community Services District, three director seats.
Knights Ferry Municipal Advisory Council, two full term council member seats, one short term council member seat.
Valley Home Municipal Advisory Council, three council member seats.
Qualifications include the information below pertaining to the above offices.
Gov Code 53227 (a) Applies to the following district offices. It states that an employee of a local agency may not be sworn into office as an elected or appointed member of the legislative body of that local agency unless he or she resigns as an employee. If the employee does not resign, the employment shall automatically terminate upon his or her being sworn into office.
School District Board Member: Any registered voter is eligible to be a member of the county board of education except the county superintendent of schools, any member of his/her staff or any employee of a school district. Ed Code 1006 (a).
Any person, regardless of sex, who is 18 years of age or older, a citizen of the state, a resident of the school district, a registered voter and who is not disqualified by the Constitution or laws of the state from holding a civil office, is eligible to be elected or appointed a member of a governing board of a school district without further qualifications. A candidate for governing board member shall be a registered voter of the district; in the case of trustee areas, shall be a resident of the trustee area that he/she represents. Ed Code 35107 (a).
An employee of a school district may not be sworn into office as an elected or appointed member of that school district’s governing board unless and until he/she resigns as an employee. If the employee does not resign, school district employment will automatically terminate upon being sworn into office. Ed Code 35107 (b) (1).
Community Services District Director: Shall be a registered voter residing within the district. Gov Code 61040 (b).
Irrigation District Director: Shall be a registered voter, a landowner of the district and a resident of the division. Water Code 21100. Water Code 21100 has exceptions to the landowner provision if certain criteria apply to the irrigation district. Review the applicable water code sections to see if this applies to the irrigation district office you are seeking.
Municipal Advisory Council member: Shall be a registered voter residing within the district. Gov Code 61040 (b).
Definition of residence and domicile: “Residence” for voting purposes means a person’s domicile. The domicile of a person is that place in which his or her habitation is fixed, wherein the person has the intention of remaining and to which whenever he or she is absent, the person has the intention of returning. At a given time a person may have only one domicile. The residence of a person is that place in which the person’s habitation is fixed for some period of time but wherein he or she does not have the intention of remaining. At a given time a person may have more than one residence. EC 349.
Lundrigan encourages voters interested in becoming candidates to stop by the County Clerk-Recorder/Elections Office at 1021 “I” St., Room 101, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. in downtown Modesto, or to call the office at 209-525-5200, or 525-5230 for assistance in Spanish. More information is available on the Elections Office website at www.stanvote.com.
