The 2021 election isn’t for another eight months yet, but with candidate interest starting to pick up, the Lyon County Election Office is getting ready.
Preparations continue at this time, according to County Clerk Tammy Vopat.
So far, no Lyon County residents have stepped forward to run for election or re-election. Jon Geitz has already announced he does not plan to run for another term on the Emporia City Commission.
From the Election Office perspective, the candidate process begins with a filing packet containing basic personal information, employment information, candidate committee or campaign treasurer items and election contributions or expenses. People can file by fee, which is $20 in most cases but increases to $70 for the Emporia City Commission. They can also file by petition, meaning 50 qualified electors or at least 1 percent of the ballots cast in the district are needed to go on the ballot.
The filing and withdrawal deadline is June 1 at noon.
Most of the election attention is already geared towards next year. Governor Laura Kelly, a Democrat, is running for re-election. Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican, announced he is running for that office. Former governor Jeff Colyer, another Republican, says he plans to run but has not made an official announcement yet.
