Candidate filing for school board, council now open
The yearly grind of local election cycles began this week as the filing period for positions on the Canton City Council and Canton ISD Board of Trustees opened Jan. 16.
The filing period will run for approximately one month, closing Feb. 15 for both entities.
City Council
The City of Canton’s General Election is scheduled for Saturday, May 4, for the purpose of electing a mayor and two councilmembers for two-year terms. All seats are at-large rather than single-member districts, and the City of Canton citizens elect by plurality. Therefore, the candidate for mayor and top two candidates for council receiving the most votes will be elected.
Applications for a place on the city’s General Election ballot must be signed under oath before a notary and must be received in the city secretary’s office located at 201 N. Buffalo St., during regular business hours beginning Jan. 16 and ending at 5 p.m., Feb. 15. A notary is available at Canton City Hall.
All candidates are also required to appoint a campaign treasurer and file the form with the city secretary prior to collecting or spending any funds on his/her campaign.
According to the Secretary of State’s office, to be eligible to run for a council seat, a person must have been a resident of Texas for one year and a resident of Canton for six months prior to the filing date. They must also be 18 years of age and be a registered voter at the time of the election.
Detailed information pertaining to the election can be found at www.cantontx.gov or by calling Canton City Hall at 903-567-1841.
School Board
The Canton School Board will have three positions open for election this year including Position 3 held by T.A. Hale, Position 4 held by Julie Stern and Position 5 held by Clay Nicklas. The General Election will be held Saturday, May 4.
Applications for a place on the ballot for the school board positions can be picked up and accepted in the Canton ISD Administration Office, 1045 South Buffalo, Canton through 5 p.m., Feb. 15. Applications for ballot by mail can be mailed to Stacie Wilkerson, 1045 S. Buffalo, Canton. Applications for ballot by mail must be received no later than the close of business on April 23.
Early voting by personal appearance will be conducted each weekday at the Administration Office (1045 S. Buffalo St., Canton) between 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. beginning Monday, April 22 and ending Tuesday, April 30. Election Day voting will be conducted at the Canton Junior High Library (1115 S. Buffalo, Canton) from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., May 4.
To be eligible to run for a school board position in Texas, a person must have been a resident of the state for one year and a resident of the district he or she wishes to serve in for six months prior to the filing deadline.
Additional requirements include that the person must be 18 years of age and a registered voter at the time of the election.
Voting
Local election day is May 4. A person is eligible to vote if they are a United States citizen; are a resident of the county where they submit their voting application, are at least 18 years old on election day, are not a convicted felon and have not been declared mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated. Some felons may be eligible to vote if they have completed their sentences, probation or parole.
For more information on voter registration, visit the website votetexas.gov.
