by Cathy Cooney

I think most of us associate November with election season, which may leave you wondering why I’m writing about it in June. The filing deadlines for candidates come much earlier than the election itself, so those interested in running for office need to think ahead. In fact, the filing period for the fall election on November 7, 2023 is August 28 to September 21.

The upcoming November election will include several school board directors, DMACC board members, city council members (including Ames), some city mayors, and Ames city hospital trustees. Other elected officials, who won’t be on this year’s ballot, include county supervisors and several other county offices such as sheriff, auditor, recorder, treasurer, and attorney. Beyond being a great way to get involved in your community, serving in an elected capacity provides the opportunity to make positive change and deepen your connections to the place you live.

So, how do you go about running for office? City and school candidates in Story County need to fill out an affidavit of candidacy (must be notarized) and a nomination petition (though the number of signatures required varies depending on the city or district). For school offices, the paperwork should be turned into the secretary for the relevant school district. The paperwork for city offices should be turned into the city clerk of the relevant city.

On Wednesday, June 28, come to Ames Public Library for Running For Office, a panel discussion on how to do just that. During the discussion, you’ll hear about our panelists’ experiences before and after taking office, what projects they’ve most enjoyed working on, and you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions about the election process. Included on our panel are John Haila (Ames Mayor), Gloria Betcher (Ames City Council), Sabrina Shields-Cook (Ames Community School District Board), Lucy Martin (Story County Auditor), Lisa Heddens (Story County Board of Supervisors), and Stacie Herridge (Story County Recorder). The program begins at 7 pm in Ames Public Library’s Farwell T. Brown Auditorium; if you would prefer to attend virtually, a Zoom link will be available on our online calendar (www.amespl.org/events). Additional information and helpful links can be found on the Story County Auditor’s website (www.storycountyiowa.gov/123/Elections). We hope you’ll elect to join us for this panel discussion!