Candidate filing by mail starts Monday

By Evan Smith

Candidates can start filing by mail Monday for positions on the August primary and November general-election ballots.

Although the official period for filing on line or in person at either the King County elections office in Renton or the secretary of state’s office in Olympia is May 12-16, officials offer candidates the chance to file by mail from April 28 through the May 16 filing deadline.

Candidates for county and local offices and for legislative positions in districts lying entirely within the county file through the county elections office. Candidates for congress, for statewide offices and for legislative districts that cross county lines file with the secretary of state.

So, candidates in the 32nd Legislative District, which crosses from Shoreline into Snohomish County, file with the secretary of state, and candidates in the 46th District file at the county elections office.

A county elections manager said Friday that candidates who file early by mail have no advantage since officials don’t open their filing material until the official filing period starts. He said that mail candidates lose control of their information because someone else enters it into the computer system.

Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com.