Running for City Office  Filing Papers turned into city auditors office  Candidates file:  Petition/Certificate of Nomination  Statement of Interests  Deadline is 4:00PM on the 64 th day before the election. For the June 14 election this date is Monday, April 11 th  City auditor to immediately forward candidate information on to county auditor for ballot creation

Running for City Office  Is the candidate the only one that circulates the petition?  No. Any qualified elector from the city may help in gathering signatures.  Does somebody actually have to be with the petition or can we just sit one on a counter somewhere?  No one needs to maintain custody of the petition, however it is advised that a qualified elector do so. Not having a circulator tends to result more signatures being thrown out.

Running for City Office  Where do I get candidacy forms?  Forms are available from the city auditors office or vote.nd.gov

Ballot Questions  Language also due on the 64 th day before the election  Also to be immediately forwarded to the county auditor  This June the question for whether or not you will publish your minutes has to appear on the ballot.

What is a Joint Powers Agreement?  State law requires that cities enter into an agreement with the county to run regular elections.  Might be a good idea to review the agreement from time to time.  Make sure it is clear who has the responsibility of publishing notices

Election Board/Canvassing Board  Election Board – Who the voter interacts with  Clerks (not actually members) check people into the pollbook  Judges issue ballots voters, canvass write in votes at end of the night  Inspector acts as a “manager” of the polling place  Canvassing Board  Reviews the aggregate of the Election Day results to ensure accuracy  Reviews absentee ballots rejected by the election board and late arriving absentee ballots. Determines if they should be counted  Certifies results  Must meet on the 6 th day after an election

ID Requirement  Eligible forms of ID are  ND Driver’s License  ND Non-Driver’s ID (issued from DOT, looks like a Driver’s License)  Tribal ID card issued from a tribe in North Dakota  Long Term Care Certificate (available from any ND long term care facility)

Absentee  Voter must fill out an application, can apply up to day before the election  Ballots available 40 days before the election  Ballots must be postmarked by the day before the election to be eligible  Three Envelopes  Outgoing envelope containing ballot and other two envelopes  Secrecy Envelope  Return envelope with affidavit on the back

Tabulating Absentee  Absentee ballots sent to the election board  Election board compares signature from the affidavit to that on the application  After verifying the signature matches open the return envelope and remove the secrecy envelope  After all return envelopes are removed then begin opening secrecy envelopes.  Tabulate ballots

Campaign Finance  Required for cities with a population of 5,000 or more  “Campaign Contribution Statement County or City” form available on vote.nd.gov

What if there is a tie?  First there is a recount (recount guidelines available on vote.nd.gov)  If there is still a tie then names are drawn at the time and date set by the filing officer

If someone turns down the office  A vacancy occurs and the procedures of or are to be followed to fill it  The office does not just go to the next highest vote getter (although they could be appointed)