By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
The Kansas legislature passed a bill in 2015 that moved local elections to November. Local elections were previously held in April.
The change at the state level required a change at the local level for many city officials in Kansas.
Assistant City Manager Jacob Wood explained how the city of Hays handled it.
“In order to account for the move to Nov. elections, the city extended the terms of current commissioners that were scheduled to expire in April 2017. There are three commission seats that are up for election in Nov. The three candidates who receive the most votes in the Nov. 7 general election will take office in Jan. 2018,” Wood said.
All Ellis County candidates are now required to file with County Clerk and County Election Officer Donna Maskus. There are two ways to file for election.
Candidates must submit a declaration of intent to become a candidate, accompanied by a $20 fee, or submit a nomination petition signed by 50 qualified electors, or one percent of the qualified electors of the city of Hays, whichever is less.
“In the past they were able to go to their city offices but that law was changed last year and all filing fees went to $20,” Maskus explained. Candidates may also file at no cost with a petition signed by qualified voters.
Filing deadline is Thu., June 1 at noon.
Open seats in Ellis County are as follows:
CITY
ELLIS–Mayor, Treasurer, 3 council seats
HAYS–3 city commission seats (top 2 vote-getters elected to four-year terms; third highest vote-getter receives two-year term)
SCHOENCHEN–Mayor, 5 council seats
VICTORIA–Mayor, 3 council seats
SCHOOL DISTRICTS
ELLIS USD 388–3 seats
VICTORIA USD 432–3 seats
HAYS USD 489–3 seats
A Tue., Aug. 1 primary election would be triggered if there is one candidate more than double the number of open seats in any race. Voter books for the primary election will close Tue., July 11.
The final day to register to vote is Tue., Oct 17 for the Tue., Nov. 7 election.
This year for the first time in Ellis County, residents will also have the opportunity to vote for Ellis County Extension Council members.
“It’s the newly formed Cottonwood Extension District #17,” Maskus said, “a joint district with Ellis and Barton counties.”
There will be two extension council positions voted on in the November general election.
Extension council candidates will still file in the Ellis County Clerk’s office although they have an extended deadline of noon Fri., Sept. 1. “Since they’re only on the November ballot, the filing deadline is different,” Maskus explained.
The filing deadline is also Sept. 1 for residents in four Improvement Districts, again because they are only on the November ballot.
IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS
BIG CREEK
PRAIRIE ACRES
MUNJOR
SUBURBAN ESTATES
The names of candidates filing for office are available on the Ellis County website, www.ellisco.net, along with other information about the upcoming elections. If you have any questions, call the county clerk office at (785) 628-9410.