Contact:
Warren Slocum, Chief Elections Officer
Phone: (650) 363-4988 E-mail: wslocum@smcare.org

Alternate:
Carol Marks, Communications Director
Phone: (650) 599-1015 E-mail: cmarks@smcare.org

Friday is candidate filing deadline for June 3 Statewide Direct Primary
5 p.m. deadline March 7 to run for supervisor, judge, committees and state and federal offices

Redwood City, CA – The deadline to file to run for office in the June 3 Statewide Direct Primary, which includes offices for county board of supervisors, county central political party committees, Superior Court judges and several state and federal legislative districts, is 5 p.m. on Friday, March 7.

Offices in the June 5 Statewide Direct Primary that fall under the deadline include:
U.S. Representative in Congress, 12th District (2009-11 term, not part of April 8 Special Election)
U.S. Representative in Congress, 14th District
State Assembly, 12th, 19th and 21st Districts
State Senate, 11th District
Democratic, Republican and American Independent Central County Committees, Districts 1-5
Green and Peace & Freedom County Councils
Board of Supervisors, Districts 1, 4 and 5 (nonpartisan)
Superior Court Judge, Offices 1 through 7 (nonpartisan)

As of Tuesday, nearly 80 citizens had at least filed initial paperwork with the San Mateo County Elections Office to qualify for placement on the June 3 ballot. The four-week filing period opened on February 11, and more are expected to file through the week as the deadline approaches.

“We are always busy at the deadline, and we are excited to see so many voters step forward to serve their community by running for office,” San Mateo County Chief Elections Officer Warren Slocum said.

To qualify for placement on the ballot, candidates must file all required nomination forms at the Elections Office by 5 p.m. on Friday. All offices except for county committees/councils also require a filing fee, which must be paid by the deadline if a signatures-in-lieu-of-filing fee petition is not filed. Optional candidate statements must also be filed by this deadline.

The Elections Office held candidate seminars in January and February to guide potential candidates through the procedural technicalities of filing for office, which has helped facilitate the filing process. About 20 potential candidates or campaign members attended. And, for those candidates who did not attend, a copy of the 2008 Candidates Guide was made available to them as a handy reference. This guide is also published and made publicly available on www.shapethefuture.org for anyone interested in learning about the legal and procedural steps of filing and running for office.

“We are delighted to see that the seminars have helped voters realize their ambition of assuming leadership roles on behalf of their communities,” Slocum said.

Friday’s deadline may not mark the final filing deadline for all offices, however. If an eligible incumbent does not file by the deadline, the filing period for that office will be extended five calendar days until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12. The extension period does not apply to offices for Superior Court judge or county committees/councils.

Some offices will experience highly competitive races, while others may not appear on the ballot as there are equal or less candidates to available seats. There will be one race to fill a vacancy for Atherton's town council, and at least four local measures are likely to appear on the ballot.

Filing must be completed at the Elections Office at 40 Tower Road in San Mateo. For more information or to schedule a filing appointment, contact Filing Officer Lupe Sanchez at (650) 312-5293 or lsanchez@smcare.org. A complete roster of candidates who have filed is updated nightly and posted online at www.shapethefuture.org.