Official site of Poetry, TX
How Do I Run For Local Office?
Election Day is May 1st, 2021
There is one Mayor position and five Town Council Member positions to be filled for the Town of Poetry.
Below are the documents that a candidate needs to review and complete in order to begin the process of running for Mayor or Town Council.
Mayor
The mayor's responsibilities are primarily to preside at council meetings and to act as head of the town, organize agendas for the Town Council Members, and to serve as a figurehead for ceremonial purposes and purposes of military law. The mayor votes as a Council Member only in the event of a tie, as the deciding tiebreaker. A mayor is elected every four years by direct popular votes held separately from the Council Member election.
Basic Requirements to run for Mayor in the Town of Poetry, Texas
1. If a portion of your property is in the Town of Poetry and that property is your primary residence, then you are eligible to run for office as a Town official (Council-person or Mayor).
2. You must have lived in the Town of Poetry for at least one year prior to the May, 1st 2021 election day.
3. You must be a registered voter.
4. You must complete the paperwork and file that paperwork between January 13th and March 1st, 2021. Paperwork to run needs to be filed with Hunt County Elections Office and they are said to be very helpful in answering questions. We have also listed the required paperwork below. Since this is our first election, negotiations are still being made. Judge Stovall's office will begin accepting applications and holding them as needed. Contact Judge Stovall's office (903-408-4100 option 6, or 903-450-6307 or by email at bstovall@huntcounty.net) to MAKE AN APPOINTMENT to turn in your paperwork. The paperwork must be notarized and can be done at the Court House for $5 (Local Poetry Water Supply Jackie does it for free). Notarized paperwork can be emailed to ablankenship@huntcounty.net (we just found this out 2/26/21). The Treasure (2 page CTA form) must be submitted to TEC (Texas Ethics Commission) via email to treasappoint@ethics.state.tx.us
5. DO NOT spend money on your campaign before filing the appropriate paperwork. This could lead to fines and jail time. It is best to not directly say that you are running until the paperwork is filed as well, just to be on the safe side. However, things like, 'I intend to file my paperwork' seems to be ok. (This is not legal advice, just a reiteration of the discussion.)
6. Once the paperwork has been filed, please email Contact@PoetryTexas.org a profile picture of yourself, your complete name and a 200 word biography of yourself. The provided information will be displayed in the section: “Meet the Candidates for Poetry, Texas” as that information is submitted to PoetryTexas.org.
Town Council Member
Town Council Members are tasked with representing the interests of their constituents. In addition to proposing, passing, and ratifying laws and ordinances, town councils manage budgets and investigate city agencies when necessary.
Single-member district plurality voting (SMDP) allows a majority of the voters to win all the seats on the Town Council. Simply put, the top five candidates with the highest number of votes will win the seats on the Town Council.
Basic Requirements to run for Town Council in the Town of Poetry, Texas
1. If a portion of your property is in the Town of Poetry and that property is your primary residence, then you are eligible to run for office as a Town official (Council-person or Mayor).
2. You must have lived in the Town of Poetry for at least one year prior to the May, 1st 2021 election day.
3. You must be a registered voter.
4. You must complete the paperwork and file that paperwork between January 13th and March 1st, 2021. Paperwork to run needs to be filed with Hunt County Elections Office and they are said to be very helpful in answering questions. We have also listed the required paperwork below. Since this is our first election, negotiations are still being made. Judge Stovall's office will begin accepting applications and holding them as needed. Contact Judge Stovall's office (903-408-4100 option 6, or 903-450-6307 or by email at bstovall@huntcounty.net) to MAKE AN APPOINTMENT to turn in your paperwork. The paperwork must be notarized and can be done at the Court House for $5 (Local Poetry Water Supply Jackie does it for free). Notarized paperwork can be emailed to ablankenship@huntcounty.net (we just found this out 2/26/21). The Treasure (2 page CTA form) must be submitted to TEC (Texas Ethics Commission) via email to treasappoint@ethics.state.tx.us
5. DO NOT spend money on your campaign before filing the appropriate paperwork. This could lead to fines and jail time. It is best to not directly say that you are running until the paperwork is filed as well, just to be on the safe side. However, things like, 'I intend to file my paperwork' seems to be ok. (This is not legal advice, just a reiteration of the discussion.)
6. Once the paperwork has been filed, please email Contact@PoetryTexas.org a profile picture of yourself, your complete name and a 200 word biography of yourself. The provided information will be displayed in the section: “Meet the Candidates for Poetry, Texas” as that information is submitted to PoetryTexas.org.
By submitting your likeness, name and biography to PoetryTexas.org, you are agreeing to allow your likeness, name and biography to be used on the unofficial PoetryTexas.org website.