Election Day is Nov. 5, but the campaign season kicks off much sooner. Candidate filings for Municipal Election begin today and end Sept. 6.

Locally, several cities have open mayor and council seats. Those interested in these positions must file with their city clerk. Clerks in each city will be the primary election officer. The County Elections office still has the responsibility of coordinating and conducting the election including printing the ballots, absentee voting, selecting and running the polling places and counting the ballots.

If you plan on running, here are some things you should know:

Some cities have decided to assign city council positions by seats. In those cases, a candidate would need to declare a seat. Other cities still have the majority vote system. Check with your city clerk to determine what applies in your city.

For communities over 5,000 in population, all campaign finance reports are to be filed with the city clerk (In Kootenai County that is Coeur d'Alene, Rathdrum, Post Falls and Hayden). Additionally, Candidates must file their Appointment of Political Treasurer form with the city clerk prior to any fundraising activities. Pursuant to Idaho Code 50-420, in a municipal election the city clerk shall stand in the place of the secretary of the state and the city attorney shall stand in place of the attorney general.

Many cities have sign regulations that regulate campaign/election signs. Remember to ask your city clerk for those regulations.

The following are frequently asked questions:

Where can I file a declaration of candidacy?

With your local city clerk.

What does it take to qualify to be a candidate?

A person must be a "qualified elector," which is any person who is 18 years of age, is a U.S. citizen, has their primary residence located within the city they are running, acknowledges that the address on the candidate's voter registration matches the residence address provided on the candidate's declaration, and that the candidate has resided in the city of Coeur d'Alene at least 30 days.

Where can I register to vote?

Kootenai County Election Office, 1808 N. 3rd St. Info: 446-1030.

How can I find where to vote?

Contact the Kootenai County Election Office.

Who are the Kootenai County city clerks?

Visit: http://www.cdaid.org/index.php/city-info/election-info/11-departments/497-kootenai-county-city-clerks

Info: Coeur d'Alene clerk can be reached at 769-2231, renata@cdaid.org or visit at www.cdaid.org.