Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
As filing deadline approaches, some local seats have no contenders
The deadline for candidates to file for more than 1,000 local races on the November ballot is Friday.
(
Maya Sugarman/KPCC
)
Listen
0:51
As filing deadline approaches, some local seats have no contenders
With filing deadlines for local political races approaching, some seats don't have any candidates.
As of late Thursday, San Bernardino County had a small handful of seats that no one had filed to run for, according to Melissa Eickman, the county's public information manager. Among them is San Bernardino Community College District, Area 3.
Eickman said about 300 candidates have filed with the county for local seats so far.
In LA County, there are about 90 local races up for grabs on the November ballot. The deadline for candidates to file is Friday. Some races could be dropped from the ballot if no one, or not enough, candidates file, according to California election law.
"We hear a lot about voter registration, voter turnout, but you don’t realize that there are actually thousands of positions at the local level in particular that, that there are almost no one running for," said Emily Schwartz, a vice president at NationBuilder.
The company is funding work through the website Run for Office that helps link residents to open local positions like a seat on the school board or water district board.
They’ve created a searchable database of races with August filing deadlines. The database includes information on several counties in Southern California — there are 1,059 elected positions in Southern California that have a filing window deadline of Friday, according to the data the website has collected.
Sponsored message
Alex Olvera, division manager of election information and preparation for LA County, said the process is easiest when you plan ahead. He suggested a few weeks to sort through the necessary steps and paperwork. But it's not too late to get involved—the deadline is close of business day on Friday.
For information on how to run for office, contact your county elections office. You can also find information about how to file in LA County on their website.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
