By BETTY BARRER
Waltham Times Corresponding Writer
This is an election year for several offices in Waltham. These are the nine ward seats and six at-large seats on the City Council up for election, as well as three of the six seats on the School Committee.
The City Council in early February will set the final dates for election events.
Individuals who wish to run for office need to follow a few rules. Here’s a brief summary of the requirements:
1. Be a Waltham resident, registered to vote and at least 18 years old.
2. File nomination papers, which include a “statement of candidacy.” The forms will be available from the city clerk’s office in early May. Aspiring candidates will need to get at least 50 signatures in support of their candidacy from registered Waltham voters. For ward council candidates, the signatures must be from voters in their ward. Candidates for the school board or councilor-at-large can get signatures from voters citywide. Nomination papers are due at the end of June, and the city clerk verifies the signatures. Candidates should consider getting more than 50 signatures in case some of the signatures are disqualified.
3. Candidates will need to form a campaign committee, especially if they need to fundraise. Some people do this even before filing their nomination papers, according to City Clerk Joseph Vizard. City Council candidates register their committees with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) and file financial reports with the OCPF. School board candidates do so with the city clerk’s office.
For additional information and assistance, contact
- the Office of the Waltham City Clerk, which is responsible for running elections.
- the OCPF, which runs several seminars and training sessions for candidates.
- the Massachusetts Municipal Association, a membership organization for all cities and towns, with many resources free to the public.
people who have previously run campaigns. To find such individuals, go to the OCPF’s page on Registered Filers and type in the name of an office-holder. Click on the Summary or Correspondence tabs to view both the chairperson and treasurer of each campaign, as well as their contact information.
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