Petitions Open for Eads Mayoral Candidates Ahead of December Special Election

Residents interested in serving as the next mayor of Eads can now begin the process of getting their names on the ballot for a special election scheduled for Dec. 8.

Candidate petitions became available Monday, Aug. 24, and must be returned to the Town of Eads office no later than 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14.

The special election follows the resignation of longtime Eads Mayor Joe Shields earlier this summer.

Town records show Shields announced during the May 12 meeting of the Eads Board of Trustees that he was submitting his resignation as mayor. By June, Dennis Pearson was serving as mayor pro-tem while the board considered how to fill the vacancy.

After meeting in executive session to discuss letters of interest from individuals seeking the mayoral position, the council ultimately decided to put the choice before Eads voters through a Dec. 8 special election.

The person elected in December will not begin a new four-year term. According to information provided by the Town of Eads, the current mayoral term runs through 2028, meaning the successful candidate will serve the remainder of that unexpired term.

Candidates wishing to appear on the ballot must circulate a nomination petition and obtain a minimum of 10 valid signatures. Those signing a petition must live within Eads town limits and be registered voters. Voters may sign petitions for more than one mayoral candidate.

Once petitions are returned, the Town Clerk’s office will review the filings to determine whether candidates and their nomination petitions meet applicable requirements. Under Colorado municipal election law, petitions that are in apparent conformity with state law are considered valid unless a written objection is filed within three days.

Once the candidate field is finalized, ballots will be prepared for the Dec. 8 mail-ballot election.

Under Colorado’s Municipal Election Code, mail-ballot packets are generally mailed no sooner than 22 days and no later than 15 days before Election Day. For the Dec. 8 election, that places the statutory mailing window between Nov. 16 and Nov. 23.

Ballots must be received by the designated election official or an authorized ballot depository no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day. A postmark alone does not satisfy the deadline.

Returned ballots are subject to the verification procedures required under Colorado municipal election law before they are counted. Following the election, the Town will conduct an official canvass of the results. State law requires the canvass to be completed no later than 10 days after the election.

The special election comes only months after Eads voters participated in the April 7 municipal election for members of the Board of Trustees.

In that election, voters chose trustees from a six-candidate field that included Jeff Lane, Carol L. “Junior” McDowell Jr., Stephanie Sewell, Tim Trosper, Jesse Deines and longtime trustee Kathy R. McCracken. When the votes were counted, McCracken was not returned to the board, while newcomers Lane and Deines earned seats at the council table.

Important Dates

• Aug. 24: Candidate petitions become available.
• Sept. 14 at 4 p.m.: Deadline to return completed petitions.
• Nov. 16-Nov. 23: Statutory window in which mail-ballot packets are expected to be mailed.
• Dec. 8: Town of Eads special mayoral election. Ballots must be received by 7 p.m.

Prospective candidates should contact or visit the Town of Eads office for official petition materials and election information.

The Kiowa County Independent will continue to follow the mayoral election and provide additional information as it becomes available.

The Eads Board of Trustees meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 5 p.m. at Eads Town Hall. Town meetings are open to the public, and anyone interested in following town business or attending a meeting is welcome.