According to the election calendar maintained by the Missouri Secretary of State’s office, the window to file as a candidate for the August 2022 election is February 22 through March 29. This includes individuals who want to declare their candidacy as Franklin County Democratic Central Committee members.

Why File to Run as a Committee Member?

It’s not essential to officially declare your candidacy as a Central Committee member. In fact, we have a standing item on our agenda each month to open the floor for nominations for open positions. That said, in accordance with our bylaws all Central Committee positions automatically expire on the day of the August primary election. This year, it’s August 2.

We reorganize our group every two years in August after the primary election. This year, our reorganization meeting will be held August 23.

We will elect new officers and establish our new organizational structure at this meeting. It’s important to know that only Central Committee members can vote in this process. That means if you want to have a say in who serves in leadership positions or if you’re interested in serving as an officer, you need to officially file as a candidate for a County Committee member.

The Process

If you want to file as a Central Committee member, you must do so at the Franklin County City Clerk’s office, located in Room 201 at the Government Center, 401 E. Locust Street in Union. Based on information provided by County Clerk Tim Baker, here’s the process:

• Complete a Declaration of Candidacy form.
• Provide at least one form of identification, such as a voter identification card, Missouri driver’s license, birth certificate, or other form of certified identification)
• There is no filing fee for County Committee candidates.

At one point there was some confusion regarding whether county committee candidates would need to also file a Tax Affidavit (Form 5120). However, Central Committee Member candidates do not have to file this form per Missouri Statute. Franklin County Director of Elections Jane Luechtefeld has confirmed this is the case.

Not sure what township or precinct you’d file in? Here’s a map, courtesy of County Clerk Baker:

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The Franklin County Democratic Central Committee meets the last Monday of each month. We are currently conducting our meetings via Zoom due to Covid. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. 

Photo Credit: TheBlueDiamondGallery.com