2009 Candidate filing frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Go to the 2009 Candidate Filing Manual (available approximately 30 days prior to candidate filing)

According to state Public Disclosure law, a person becomes a candidate when one of the following events occurs: the candidate publicly announces candidacy, begins collecting or spending money for a campaign, contracts for campaign goods or services, or competes a declaration for office during filing week.

The basic qualifications for most offices are simple: the candidate must be a registered voter residing in the jurisdiction in which s/he wants to be elected (congressional candidates are an exception); and finally, candidates for judicial positions must be attorneys-at-law in the State of Washington.

If your jurisdiction had fewer than 1,000 registered voters as of the last General Election, you do not have to file state reports (Federal candidates check with the Federal Election Commission, FEC 1-8---424-9530).  If your jurisdiction had over 1,000 registered voters as of the last General Election, you must file with the Public Disclosure Commission within two weeks of becoming a candidate. This filing consists of the Personal Financial Affairs Statement (PDC Form F-1). In addition, if your jurisdiction has over 5,000 registered voters, the Candidate Registration (C-1) form is required to be filed as well. These forms may be obtained from the State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC). You may file public disclosure information electronically by contacting the PDC at www.pdc.wa.gov.

For additional information on PDC forms, please go to the Campaign Contributions Frequently Asked Questions webpage.

To officially file for an office, you must complete a Declaration of Candidacy form and file with the following office:
Secretary of State - for all federal offices, all statewide offices, legislative offices whose districts include more than one county and State Supreme Court positions.
King County Elections Office - for other offices* (King County Elections Division, 919 SW Grady Way, Renton, WA 98057)
*Special purpose districts located in more than one county file in the county which has the largest portion of the registered voters in the district.  School districts located in more than one county, file in the county designated by the state board of education.
If the office for which you are filing is subject to a filing fee, you must include the filing fee with the completed Declaration of Candidacy.

The filing period is the week beginning Monday, June 1, 2009, and ending the following Friday, June 5, 2009. In addition, properly executed filings will be accepted by mail if received by the proper filing office (see above), no sooner than ten business days before the beginning of the filing period and no later than the last day of filing (May 15, 2009 through June 5, 2009). Declarations received will not be processed until the first day of filing.

Obtain a filing form from the Secretary of State or the Elections Office in person or by phoning 206-296-1565. The Elections Office will mail the form out the same day. Complete the form. Your signature must be notarized. This can be done in most banks or attorneys' offices, among other places. If there is a filing fee, that fee must accompany the Declaration of Candidacy in order for your filing to be valid. Please do not send cash through the mail. If filing with King County, make checks payable to: King County Treasury.
Remember: a properly executed Declaration of Candidacy will not be accepted by mail if it is received prior to May 15, 2009.

Court cases have ruled that to be valid, a filing must be received by the Elections Division before the end of the filing period, regardless of circumstances, such as slow or wrong delivery or loss by the post office. If you mail your filing document, it is a good idea to call the Elections Office at 206-296-1565 to make sure that it was received.

You can file for office online beginning June 1, 2009 at 9 a.m. until June 5, 2009, at 4 p.m.
If you are unable to file online, someone else may bring in the Declaration of Candidacy for you during the week of filing. But remember that if a friend or associate is given the document and then forgets to file it before the end of the filing period, you are not a candidate. If you do not bring the declaration in yourself, be sure that you have your signature notarized and that the filing fee, if any, is included.

Office hours for filing are 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. No filings may be made except during those hours. The doors of the King County Elections Building, will be unlocked at 8:30 a.m. and promptly locked at 4:30 p.m. each day of the filing period. Declarations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis during the day. The declaration will be checked for completeness. If the form is not complete, we will ask that the candidate complete the form. Be sure to write the position number if there is a position number for the office for which you are filing.
There will be lists available which will give the positions subject to the election, as verified for us by the jurisdictions. The Election staff will look up the candidate's registration information by computer to verify that the information given is the same as that appearing on the registration file. Election staff members are authorized to notarize Declarations of Candidacy during filing week. A report listing all candidates who have filed will be updated daily and available in the office and on the Elections Internet web site, www.kingcounty.gov/elections.

The fee is 1% of the annual salary. If there is an annual salary of less than $1,000 the filing fee is $10.00. If you are uncertain, please call the district involved or the Elections Office at 206 296-1565.

State law provides that if a candidate declares inability to pay the filing fee, the candidate may file a Filing Petition. The petition must contain one valid signature for each dollar of the filing fee. If the signatures are valid, the petition will take the place of the filing fee. It is wise to submit more than the required number of signatures, in case some signatures prove invalid.

A valid signature is that of a registered voter in the jurisdiction in which the candidate wants to file for office. Therefore, if you want to run for a city council office, only voters registered in that city may sign your petition.

The Filing Fee Petition pages must be presented when you file your Declaration of Candidacy during filing week. The declaration will be accepted provisionally. Your name will be included on the list of candidates filed with the notation that the "filing is provisional, pending sufficiency of the filing petition". If there is not sufficient valid signatures, the filing will not be accepted and your name will be removed from the list of candidates filed and will not be placed on the ballot. If you submit your filing and petition pages early in the filing period, we will attempt to check the signatures as quickly as possible. If the filing period has not ended, you will be given the opportunity to gather more signatures if your petition has not met sufficiency

No. The filing fee must be either all money or all signatures. The law makes no provision for a combination of both. You will be able to replace the petition by paying the filing fee.

Go to the office where the initial filing was made, on or before the closing of the filing period, and complete a "Withdrawal of Candidacy" form for the position for which you no longer wish to run. Then file another Declaration of Candidacy form for the position for which you want to run. You must pay the filing fee. The filing fee may not be transferred to another position, nor is it refundable.

Candidates may withdraw their candidacy no later than Thursday, June 11, 2009, by filing a "Withdrawal of Candidacy" form with the filing office. The filing fee is not refundable.

If you are running for a partisan office, your name will appear on the primary ballot regardless of the number of candidates that file for that office.
A primary will be held if three or more candidates file for the position in a non-partisan office.
Superintendent of Public Instruction and some judicial offices are exceptions to this rule. If there are not more than two candidates filed for the position, there will be no primary for that position and the candidates will go forward to the General Election. Candidates who are running for commissioner positions in Park and Recreation Districts and Cemetery Districts will not be subject to the Primary, but will go forward to the General Election regardless of the number of candidates who file. (Reference RCW 36.69.090, RCW 68.52.155)
The Elections Office will notify you, if you are subject to the primary.

Order of appearance on the primary ballot will be determined by lot order drawing conducted at end of candidate filing. See the exceptions for the Park and Recreation Districts and Cemetery District noted above.
Candidates on the general election ballot will appear in the order of the highest number of votes received in the primary. If no primary, then the names will appear on the General Election ballot in the order by lot drawing.

For 2009, King County Elections will publish a local voters’ pamphlet for the Primary Election and the Secretary of State will publish a voters' pamphlet for the General Elections. Instructions for participation in the Primary and General Election voters' pamphlet can be found in the 2009 King County Candidate Manual. Rules, deadlines, and fees are determined by the Secretary of State.

Instructions for participation in the Primary and General Election voters' pamphlet can be found in the 2009 King County Candidate Manual. Rules, deadlines, and fees are determined by the Secretary of State.

The Elections Office can provide the following information for a fee: Maps of cities and towns. Maps of legislative districts. . Composite maps with congressional, legislative, or council districts. . Maps of special purpose districts (custom ordered). . Lists of registered voters by districts or precincts. . Lists of absentee voters for the jurisdictions. Results of past elections . Copies of PDC filings. Fees will be quoted upon request.
Information or services that are provided free include:

1. Voter Registration forms, absentee ballot request forms and ongoing absentee request forms.

2. PDC forms, instruction booklets and brochures on a CD provided by the Public Disclosure Commission.

3. Access to PDC forms filed by candidates, committees or PAC's.

4. Access to information regarding past elections.

For specific information about filing for office and elections call 206-296-1565.
The information contained in these notes is subject to change by legislative amendments or agency rules.