Ever thought of becoming a public servant? The Santa Maria City Clerk’s office is busy preparing for the Nov. 2 general election, through which voters will elect two members of the City Council.
People interested in running for office must be at least 18 years old and a registered voter in the city of Santa Maria. Candidates must be nominated by collecting signatures from at least 20 registered city voters. The nomination period ends Aug. 6.
Nomination papers are currently available free of charge at the city clerk’s office. The papers contain room for signatures from 30 registered voters. While only 20 signatures are necessary to qualify, it’s recommended that potential candidates obtain all 30 in case some are invalid.
Should any of the incumbents decide not to run for re-election, the nomination period will be extended to Aug. 11.
Voter registration forms are available at several Santa Maria locations, including City Hall (110 E. Cook St.), the Santa Maria Public Library (421 E. McClelland St.), and the Santa Barbara County Elections Office (511 E. Lakeside Parkway). People who want to vote in the November election must register before Oct. 18.
Online registration is available through the Secretary of State website: sos.ca.gov/elections/votereg1.html.
For more information, visit the city of Santa Maria elections website at ci.santa-maria.ca.us/elections.shtml or call the city clerk’s office at 925-0951, Ext. 305.
News Briefs is compiled by Sun staffers from staff reporting and local and national media. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
This article appears in Jul 15-22, 2010.