Filing Period for Special District Candidates Open until March 20, 2025

Thursday, March 13, 2025

Filing Period for Special District Candidates Open until March 20, 2025:  

Clerk Encourages Citizens to File to Serve on Local School, Fire, Water, and Other Special Districts

Oregon City, OR - On Tuesday, May 20, Clackamas County voters will make choices for 191 open positions across 61 different special district boards that oversee school, fire, water districts and more. Clerk Catherine McMullen is encouraging all interested citizens to consider running for local public office.

“Most Clackamas County residents live in three or more different service districts,” shared Clerk McMullen. “If you have ever been interested in running for local office or serving your community, this is a great way to get started in elected public service. You can get directly involved with our schools, emergency services, and make local budget decisions.”

The filing deadline for these positions is 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 20. Candidates are also encouraged to submit an optional candidate statement due before 5 p.m. Monday, March 24. Candidate and measure statements are included in the County Voters’ Pamphlet that is mailed to every household in the county. Filed candidates are also invited to an informational Candidate Open House at Clackamas County Elections held on April 3. 

While unpaid, these elected positions inform and make decisions about how local districts operate. Typically, board members are charged with representing the local community by providing direction and developing policies for the operation of the district, setting goals, adopting a budget, and evaluating programs. Most positions are full 4-year terms.

To look up which districts and positions they are eligible to run for, citizens are encouraged to visit and enter their address into the county’s CMAP application, at cmap.clackamas.us/maps/cmap . Voters can also call Clackamas County Elections at 503-655-8510 to confirm their eligibility. While filing opened Feb. 10, there are still many positions without any filed candidates.

Additional information can be found on the Clackamas County Elections May 20, 2025 Special District Election website at www.clackamas.us/elections/may-20-2025-special-district-election . If you are a new voter in Oregon, April 29 is the Voter Registration Deadline for the May 20, 2025 Special District Election. You can register to vote or update your information at oregonvotes.gov . 

Filing for office is an easy and inexpensive process. Candidates must fill out a simple declaration of candidacy, the Candidate Filing Form (SEL 190), available on the Clackamas County Elections website or in office and submit it to Clackamas County Elections at 1710 Red Soils Ct. in Oregon City. While it only costs $10 to file, candidates are also encouraged to provide a statement in the County Voters’ Pamphlet for an additional $25.

The full list of board positions that can be filed with Clackamas County Elections during the upcoming election is available on the Clackamas County Elections May 20, 2025 Special District Election website at www.clackamas.us/elections/may-20-2025-special-district-election . There are additional board positions in shared districts that must be filed with neighboring election offices in Marion, Multnomah, Washington, or Yamhill counties.

For more voter information about the upcoming election, visit Ready. Set. Vote! A Voter’s Guide to the May 20, 2025 Special District Election (available in English plus six languages). To learn more about voting and elections in Clackamas County, visit clackamas.us/elections .

Contacts: 

Catherine McMullen, County Clerk and Justin Larsen, Elections Manager | countyclerk@clackamas.us or 503-655-8510