Erik Chalhoub here. I admire those who are willing to put themselves out there and run for the many councils and boards that make up Monterey County. They all run on the intention of bettering their communities, even if they have different, sometimes opposing, ways to accomplish that.
The process of appearing on the ballot, though, can be daunting. Between the amount of paperwork, the constant deadlines and the need to fundraise and knock on doors, many people just don’t have the time to take part.
As such, there are many seats that either go unopposed or generate no candidates at all, and this year’s election is no exception.
Today, Sept. 10, the Board of Supervisors appointed 89 people in lieu of election to 45 boards, as well as four Superior Court judges. (They would have otherwise been listed unopposed on voters’ ballots.) At the same time, the county is now putting out a call for candidates to be appointed to at least 18 seats open on 15 boards where no one filed to run.
Is it due to a lack of interest, or is the process too time-consuming for many people? It’s hard to say, but it probably varies.
Seats on the board of supervisors and city councils generally draw the most interest. The boards that usually struggle to fill seats are the less glamorous ones, namely those that oversee cemeteries or sewer facilities.
Even though the filing period has closed, those who still want to run for office can run as a write-in candidate, although they will not be on the ballot.
The nomination period to qualify as a write-in candidate in the November election opened yesterday and continues through Tuesday, Oct. 22. Forms must be filed at the Monterey County Elections Office in Salinas, and there are no filing fees or candidate statements required.
If you’re not running for public office, don’t forget you still have a vital role in the election. The last day to register to vote is Oct. 21.
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