If casting votes is the purest expression of democracy, getting votes is its purest outcome.
The deadline for people to file to run in the next election is noon next Friday. This upcoming election, a primary for municipal offices, will be conducted May 7. In Greenfield, the offices up for election are mayor, clerk-treasurer and all seven city council seats. In Fortville and McCordsville, town council seats are up for election.
So far, out of about a dozen races that will be on the ballot, only one will be contested — the Republican at-large race for Greenfield City Council. Three incumbents — Dan Riley, Mitch Pendlum and Joe Skvarenina — are vying for two seats.
So, if you’ve ever thought you could do a better job than the people in charge, this would be a good time to see whether voters agree.
It doesn’t cost anything to get your name on the ballot, and, contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to raise and spend a lot of money to run a competitive race. Some candidates don’t spend anything and get elected, by the way, so don’t assume running for office commits you to spending thousands of dollars.
To toss your hat into the ring, all you need to do is go the election office. You will receive two forms, called a CAN-42 and a CAN-12. The first one is a declaration of candidacy, and it asks you to declare a party, either Republican or Democrat. You go by which party you supported the last time you voted in a primary. If you cannot fulfill that requirement, you have to obtain a certification from the appropriate county chairman to officially file. (This arrangement, of course, assumes you’re a supporter of one of the two major parties. If you want to run as a representative of another party — say, for example, the Libertarian Party — you’ll be able to file at a later date.)
The county chairs are Republican Janice Silvey and Democrat Randy Johnson.
The second form is a “statement of economic interests,” on which you list your employer, your spouse’s employer and other information, such as your roles in a sole proprietorship, professional practice, or a partnership.
The forms are available on the secretary of state’s website. (A simple search for “CAN-42” and “CAN-12” will take you right to them.) They’re also available at the election office. According to Robin Spille in the county election office, you can fill them out beforehand and have them notarized before dropping them off at the courthouse. Otherwise, you can fill out the forms at the election office, and the staff there will notarize them for you.
The only other requirement is that you must live in the district you would represent. That’s not an issue for at-large candidates, who run citywide or townwide. If you intend to run in a district race and are unsure which district you live in, the election office can tell you. At any rate, you must live in the city or town limits for these races.
So, as you can see, it’s pretty easy to run for local office. You never know; you might just win.
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