Deadline to file for May election is March 13

Amid the hum of early presidential voters making their way through the turns of their line at the Kootenai County Elections office Monday afternoon, county staff found themselves feeling a different electricity in the air.

“Today’s the day,” observed Jennifer Locke, Kootenai County chief deputy clerk. “Exciting day for our candidates.”

Monday marked the opening bell for locals filing their candidacy declarations for the May 19 primary election. The window in which candidates can officially file ends March 13, giving prospective candidates 12 days to announce their intent to run for state and county offices for the May 19 election.

Kootenai County’s May election will include candidates for U.S. senator, Idaho’s 1st District representative in Congress, one state Senate candidate for each of the county’s three Legislative districts, two state Representative candidates for those same three districts, Kootenai County commissioner races in District 1 (which offers a four-year term) and District 2 (which offers a two-year term), the county’s prosecuting attorney, the county sheriff and county central committeemen for local Republicans and local Democrats.

Non-partisan ballots will include decisions for Idaho Supreme Court justice, the Court of Appeals judgeships and any bonds, levies and questions for the public, if they’ve received the proper support.

The 21st century’s rendition of Filing Day lacks some of the surprise of its predecessors. While locals wondering who would file in past elections could only rely on local gossip and reports from the next day’s newspaper, almost every candidate presumably prepared for this year by filing C1 political treasurer reports with the Idaho Secretary of State’s office, which became almost immediately available on the department’s website last month.

“If they’re intending to run, taken any contributions and they’re spending,” Locke said, “we already have a good idea who’s filing. They just have to come in here and make their actual declaration.”

Candidates are not required to officially declare, and five hours in, most hadn’t. At 2 p.m. — six hours after the Third Street elections office opened — only two candidates had filed: Ron Mendive for Kootenai County Republican Central Committee Precinct 65 and Jacob Garretson for the KCRCC’s Precinct 32. By 2:30 p.m., Kim Edmondson walked through the door and became the third.

“I’ve been planning on doing this for a long time,” the sheriff’s candidate said as she sat down and began filling out the filing paperwork. “I’ve been working on this since 2018. It’s that important to me to come in on day one and take care of this.”

By day’s end, only one other candidate had declared: Terri Seymour for KCRCC’s Precinct 39.

Locke, who said she will try to update the Kootenai County website each evening to list who filed for which office, said she anticipates a rush of candidates to file in the days ahead, adding that she admires anyone who runs for office.

“If people care about an issue and file, they’re saying they want things to either go a certain way or change,” she said. “They’re saying they care. They’re saying they want to make a difference.”

Shelly Amos, elections manager for the county, said she couldn’t agree more.

“I think it’s an important way to be part of our community,” Amos said. “Win or lose, it’s a way for you to stand up and say, ‘I want to make a difference.’ And that’s admirable.”