Election filing opens soon

For those interested in standing for election this year, whether for local, county or state positions, the filing window is about to open. For a two-week period, citizens will be invited to put forth their names for seats ranging from U.S. Congress to city council.

Filing opens on May 12 and will close on May 27 for most county, state and federal seats. Special district and school board applications will not be accepted until later in the year as these seats will appear on the ballot for the general election.

As well as two county commissioner positions, interested parties should file with the County Clerk between those dates to run for county offices including coroner, attorney, sheriff, clerk, treasurer, assessor and clerk of district court.

Each county officer is elected for a four-year term. Applicants will be asked to complete an application form to confirm their details and eligibility and must pay the appropriate filing fee.

All applicants for office must be qualified electors, although there is no waiting time between registering as a voter and filing an application to run for office.

To qualify, applicants for county assessor must also own real property in the county, while the county attorney must be a member of the bar of Wyoming. All candidates for county offices must reside in the county in which they are elected and must not hold an office or employment that is incompatible with the office they are seeking.

Candidates for committee precinct seats must reside within the precinct they are seeking to represent. There is no fee to file an application for this office.

To run for a mayoral or council member seat in the City of Sundance or the Towns of Moorcroft or Pine Haven, visit the municipal clerks in the appropriate municipality. The mayoral and two council member seats in each municipality are open for election, each to serve a four-year term.

Candidates for municipal seats may not hold an office or employment that conflicts or is incompatible with the office for which they are filing and must have been a registered voter and resident of the municipality and ward for at least one year preceding the elections.

File your application for federal and state offices, including the Wyoming State Legislature, with the Office of the Secretary of State.

For Crook County’s district, a four-year term for the Wyoming State Senate and a two-year term for the Wyoming House of Representatives are both up for election.

All five of Wyoming’s top elected officials will stand for office this year, including governor, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer and superintendent of public instruction. Each is a four-year term.

Wyoming’s sole member of the U.S. House of Representatives – a position currently held by Liz Cheney – will also be elected for a two-year term.