Elections

Elections for Town Council are nonpartisan elections (meaning they do not run under a certain party, therefore there are no primary elections).  

Elections are held on the first Tuesday in November after the first Monday of even-numbered years with Council seats up for election on an alternating basis. 

Councilmember and Mayoral terms are limited to two consecutive, four-year terms. After Councilmembers have served two four-year terms; they must wait four years prior to running for that office again; however, they may run for Mayor without a waiting period after serving as a Councilmember and vice versa.

The November 2024 election will be for Councilmembers representing Districts 1, 2, 4 and 6 and every four years after that.

The Town Clerk is the designated election official for the Town and will work closely with you throughout the campaign and election process.  

Becoming a candidate

1. Ensure you meet the requirements for Candidate eligibility
2. Register your Candidate Committee
3. Attend the Candidate Orientation (optional)
4. Circulate and turn in Nomination Petition and Acceptance by the due date
5. Names are drawn for candidate name placement on the ballot at least 60 days prior to the election
6. File candidate financial reports according to the filing schedule 

Write in candidates

• Individuals may register as a write-In candidate with the Town Clerk 29 days prior to the election.  
• They must still meet the eligibility requirements, but their name will not appear on the ballot — electors must write in their name.  
• No votes will be counted for any names written in that did not register as a write-in candidate by the deadline.
• Write-in candidates must also file candidate financial reports.

Candidate eligibility

Candidates must be:

• Citizens of the United States
• Registered electors of the Town
• Prohibited from being a paid employee of the Town at the time of election and throughout their term of office
• Residents in the Town for 12 consecutive months preceding the date of the election and throughout their term of office
• Residents within their district boundaries at the time of nomination and throughout their term of office (for Councilmember Candidates)

NOTE: Information may be verified

Candidate committee

Candidates may begin to campaign at any time; however, prior to a candidate accepting any contributions or making any expenditures, they must first register as a committee.

• Formation of a committee requires a separate bank account to be established in the name of the committee
• Candidate committees may register at any time 
• A candidate shall have only one candidate committee

Candidate orientation

An orientation meeting will be scheduled close to the date nomination petitions can be circulated.

For those considering running for Mayor or Town Council, the Candidate Orientation Packet (PDF)  will be a helpful resource document.  

Nomination petition 

Turning in petitions for verification prior to the deadline is recommended in case there are not enough valid signatures to allow time to collect more signatures by the deadline.

Petitioners must obtain the required amount of valid signatures of registered electors by the deadline in order to be placed on the ballot.

• 91 days before the election: Nomination Petitions will be prepared by the Town Clerk and may be picked up.
• 71 days before the election: Nomination Petitions must be filed by 5 p.m. with the Town Clerk and the candidate must sign the affidavit accepting the nomination that is attached to the petition.

Mayoral candidates:

• Must obtain valid signatures of at least 10 registered electors from each of the six districts (Obtaining more signatures than required is recommended in case any are deemed invalid.)

Councilmember candidates:

• Must obtain valid signatures of at least 25 registered electors residing within their district (Obtaining more signatures than required is recommended in case any are deemed invalid.)

Candidate instructions:

• Candidates must personally circulate their own petitions
• Petition sections may not be disassembled or they will be invalid
• Registered electors can only sign one Mayoral candidate petition and only one Councilmember candidate petition within their district, as required above
• Candidates must complete the Acceptance / Affidavit attached to the petition (see below)

Signer instructions:

• Use blue or black ink
• All fields must be completed
• Sign name as they are registered to vote as (use legal name)
• Must use their street address (no PO Box addresses will be accepted)
• Corrections or changes to the petition must be initialed by the signer

Acceptance / Affidavit of nominated candidate

The Acceptance / Affidavit is attached to the petition - do not separate it from the petition.

The Acceptance / Affidavit must be completed, signed and notarized prior to filing it with the Town Clerk by the deadline. (The Town Clerk's Office cannot notarize the petitions.)

The Acceptance / Affidavit acknowledges:

• Candidate accepts the nomination for candidacy
• Candidate meets all eligibility requirements
• Candidate personally circulated the petition observing the elector signature process
• Electors stated they are registered electors of the district
• Candidate indicates how their name shall appear on the ballot (no titles allowed)
• Candidate agrees to comply with Fair Campaign Practice requirements

Verification of petition

The Town Clerk will verify the nomination petition contains the requisite number of valid signatures to be placed on the ballot as a candidate.

If a candidate files a nomination petition that does not have the requisite number of valid signatures, the candidate may have an opportunity to circulate additional petitions to meet the signature requirements prior to the deadline.

Candidate name placement on ballot

The order that candidate names appear on the ballot is determined by lot. A drawing will be held by the Town Clerk after submitted nomination petitions have been verified to have the requisite number of valid signatures. 

Candidate financial reports

All Candidate Committee registrations and FCPA reports will be posted on the website under Candidates & Financial Filings to inform the public of candidates running.

Candidate committees are required by the Fair Campaign Practices Act to file periodic financial reports.

FCPA required reports and deadlines