November 2024 Election Information

CITY COUNCIL ELECTION INFORMATION

In order to serve on the Madras City Council, applicants are required to be a Jefferson County registered voter and have lived within Madras city limits prior to November 4, 2023. If you meet those requirements and want to use your knowledge and experience to volunteer on the Madras City Council, please read the Guide for Prospective City Elected Officials published by the League of Oregon Cities. This short publication provides a good overview for people interested in serving on a city council. The Candidate Manual produced by the Secretary of State is included at the bottom of this page to help guide you through the process.

All the election forms referenced herein can be downloaded at the bottom of this page for your convenience and paper copies are available at City Hall. You are welcome and encouraged to attend Council meetings in order to understand how the meetings work, what the Council does, etc. The City Council web page also has information that will help you understand the expectations and functions of the Council. There is also an example of how to complete the SEL 101 and SEL 121 included at the bottom of this page.

UPCOMING POSITIONS ON THE NOVEMBER 5, 2024 BALLOT:

Mayor (one position; two-year term)
City Councilor (three positions; four-year terms)

Candidates receiving the highest number of votes on the ballot will fill the positions.

Updated 06-06-2024 @ 2:35 PM

current applicants/candidates:

Note: All persons are considered "Applicants" until they have submitted the required amount of signatures and those signatures have been verified by the County Clerk. Once this requirement has been met and all the required forms have been completed and approved, then their status changes to "Candidate."

MAYOR:

Mike Lepin, Applicant Status: Filing Forms submitted and verified; signatures not yet submitted.

COUNCIL SEATS:

Whitney Bell, Applicant Status: Filing Forms submitted and verified; signatures not yet submitted.

IMPORTANT DATES:

June 5, 2024 – Candidates can begin submitting Candidate Filing forms. We will NOT receive filing forms prior to this date.
August 21, 2024 – Deadline for submitting SEL 121 signature sheets and SEL 338. (Note that this deadline allows time for the County Clerk to verify signatures and provides time for the candidate to collect additional signatures if necessary).
August 30, 2024 - deadline to withdraw candidacy.
November 5, 2024 - General Election

Forms can be downloaded (see below) or picked up at City Hall, 125 SW "E" Street, Madras.
The City of Madras does not charge a fee for filing.

STEP 1:

Beginning June 5, 2024, you may submit a completed Candidate Filing Form (SEL 101) AND a Candidate Signature Sheet – Nonpartisan (SEL 121-submit with just your information and your signature) to the City Elections Officer at Madras City Hall, 125 SW “E” Street in Madras.
- Please keep a copy for your records.
- For help filing out these forms correctly, see the example document below.

STEP 2:

Once your eligibility has been verified by the City Elections Officer, you will receive a letter notifying you that you are approved to begin collecting signatures.
- Do not begin collecting signatures without the this letter of approval.
Using SEL 121 forms, you must obtain a minimum of 20 signatures of registered voters who reside within Madras City limits.
- While 20 valid signatures are what is required, it is recommended that you gather a few more in case some are deemed invalid (the signer is not registered to vote, resides outside City limits, etc.).

STEP 3:

Submit your completed signature pages AND an SEL 338 to the City Elections Officer who will submit them to the County Clerk for verification.
Once all of your forms have been verified and you have 20 verified signatures, your name will be submitted to the County Clerk to appear on the ballot and you will receive notification from the City Elections Officer.

STEP 4:

Campaign! Get out and meet people, speak at community groups, talk to your neighbors and friends, let them know you are running for office and why. You can do all of this without spending a penny.
If you choose to set up campaign financing, please visit: https://sos.oregon.gov/elections/Pages/orestar.aspx
If you choose to distribute temporary campaign signs, please review the City of Madras sign ordinance .