The following was submitted by the San Juan County Auditor’s Office.

Whew! You almost missed your chance to run for office. Fortunately, you’ll get a second chance. During this past week’s filing period, several of the offices open for filing had no candidates file. When no one files for an open office, it’s called a “void in candidacy.” When a void in candidacy occurs after a regular filing week, a special three-day filing period is opened for only those offices for which no candidates filed.

The local races that will be open for filing are all local special purpose districts: school, port, water, cemetery, and sewer districts. According to County Auditor Milene Henley, “These districts are vitally important to local communities, affecting all parts of local life. If you’re looking for a way to make a difference, run for a local elected office. And the first step to running is filing.”

San Juan County Elections Office will hold a special three-day filing period starting Wednesday, May 24, and ending on Friday, May 26. Persons interested in filing as a candidate for one of the offices below can do so online, by mail, by email, or in person. The Online Candidate Filing Wizard will be opened from 9 a.m. Wednesday through 4:00 p.m. Friday. Paper Declarations of Candidacy will be accepted from 8 a.m. Wednesday through 4:30 p.m. Friday. The Online Candidate Filing Wizard and paper Declaration of Candidacy can both be found at www.sanjuanco.com/elections.

The following offices will be open during the three-day filing period:

Shaw Island School District #10 School Board Director #1

Port of Orcas Port Commissioner #2

San Juan County Cemetery District #3 Cemetery Commissioner #2

San Juan County Cemetery District #3 Cemetery Commissioner #3

Cape San Juan Water District Water Commissioner #2

Cape San Juan Water District Water Commissioner #3

Eastsound Sewer & Water District Sewer & Water Commissioner #5