How to run for open City Council and board of education seats in Modesto
The nomination window for three Modesto City Council seats and four Modesto City School Board of Education seats will be July 13 through Aug. 7.
Diane Nayares-Perez, Modesto city clerk, reviews applications and ensures that candidates meet the required qualifications.
“We recommend they call or send an email to set up an appointment,” Nayares-Perez said.
City Council seats open for challenge are:
- District 2, held by Eric Alvarez, encompasses downtown and south Modesto.
- District 4, held by Nick Bavarro, includes the east portion of the city.
- District 5, held by Jeremiah Williams, includes the section of the city north of Briggsmore Avenue.
The city also meets with candidates for the Modesto City Schools Board of Education, which has four open seats:
- Area 1, held by Cindy Marks, covers the northwestern section of Modesto, Salida and Gregori High School
- Area 3, held by Chad Brown, includes the northern region with Beyer and Enochs high schools
- Area 5, held by Jolene Daly, encompasses the eastern section of the district with Wilson, El Vista and Lakewood elementary schools, La Loma Junior High School and Johansen High School
- Area 7 held by Adolfo Lopez, covers southwest Modesto’s Shackelford, Bret Harte, Fairview, Kirschen and Tuolumne elementary schools
“There’s only a handful of cities throughout California that actually meet with school board members because typically the county administers that portion.”
Part of the process is ensuring candidates are registered to vote within the district. The city of Modesto also requires that for at least 30 days before the nomination period, candidates live within the piece of the district they plan to represent.
The city clerk provides a nomination packet including the ballot designation, the declaration of candidacy, the Code of Fair Campaign Practices and the statement on economic interests known as form 700, which is filed with the Fair Political Practices Commission.
Candidates file a ballot designation, which declares their principal profession, vocation or occupation. It’s the section of the ballot that reads “farmer” or “small business owner,” for example.
“There’s some candidates that take a little time trying to figure out what they want right under their name,” Nayares-Perez said.
To be nominated, candidates must have 20 verified voter signatures within their district. Nayares-Perez recommends getting more than 20 just in case.
“There’s been instances where you have candidates who get exactly 20, and then you have someone who just moved to that district and hasn’t reregistered to vote or there’s an address mismatch,” Nayares-Perez said. “So it’s always advisable to get a few extra so they don’t have to go out and get a supplemental petition.”
There is also an optional candidate statement of up to 200 words. It’s an opportunity for candidates to pitch their qualifications to potential voters – but it costs a $1,200 deposit to file.
The deposit is intended to cover the costs of printing the ballot guide with the county clerk’s office. If the cost is higher than the deposit, the candidate will be billed the cost overrun. If under, the candidate will be reimbursed the difference.
If candidates intend to spend or raise over $2,000, they need to open a campaign committee account and file form 410. If not, they must sign a declaration, form 470, that they will not spend or raise over $2,000.
As candidates with campaign committees raise funds, they will submit reports to the city clerk for council members and the county clerk for Modesto City School candidates.
The City Clerk is required to provide the code of campaign fair practice, but it is optional for the candidate to sign it.
“It just says they’re going to run a clean campaign,” Nayares-Perez said.
All the required forms are due and need to be completed before the end of the nomination period on Aug. 7. If there is no one running, the incumbent gets an additional five days to file to prevent the seat from becoming vacant.
As a way to help candidates navigate the paperwork, the city clerk’s office provides a checklist as well.
“Through all of that, I’m always available to assist with any questions,” Nayares-Perez said.
There will be a chart online that shows where candidates are in the process of verification that members of the public can follow to see who will be on the ballot Nov. 3.
