As a public service, each month The People News will be covering the 2010 elections, giving voting dates, times, deadlines and candidate information.

Already, political signs have started to blossom around the county and candidates are quickly picking up petitions from the Election Office.  For citizens that have an interest in local government and feel they may be an asset to the community, it is not too late to run for office.  The deadline for qualifying petitions is February 18, 2010 at noon.

Petitions to run for office can be picked up at the Election Commission in the courthouse annex (old post office) on Broad Street. Each petition requires the signature of 25 qualified voters, however it is advised to get several more to allow for signers that may not be eligible. The Election commission will disqualify signatures for numerous reasons which include voters that have not correctly completed the petition or have signed for their spouse.

Basic general candidate qualifications are; must be over 18 years of age, citizen of the U.S. and of Tennessee and resident for the period required by the office they seek. Excluded are those with a criminal record, those with any unpaid judgement, those who are defaulters to the treasury at the time of the election, U.S soldiers, seamen, marines or airmen, member of congress and persons holding any office of profit or trust under the foreign power, other state of the union, or under the United States. Additional qualifications required for each office can be found at the Bradley County Election website: www.bradleyelections.com.

Seats currently up for grabs are; County Mayor, County Commissioners 2 each 1st thru 7th District,  County Clerk, Circuit Court Clerk, Register of Deeds, Sheriff, Road Superintendent, and Constables 1st thru 7th District.

As we live in a country with unique freedoms given to us by the Founding Fathers where government is "of the people, by the people, for the people" qualifications for public office are usually quite minimal. However, unlike many cushy government jobs, the work of an elected official requires making many sacrifices. A candidate for public office needs to be aware that if elected, they must be willing to give up their free time during and after working hours, be available to the public at all times, be accountable for their actions, and be capable of taking public criticism.

Running for office is by no means cheap and requires much hard work. However, it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg if you stick to a budget and shop around for political signs and advertising promotions. Whether a candidate accepts monetary contributions or not is entirely up to the individual but a self funded campaign allows for no political favors if elected. Money can be saved by surfing the Internet for political yard signs, most can be shipped within a few days. Getting your name out to the voter can be done in many creative ways.

Many candidates place one big sign in the back of a pick-up truck and drive around town parking in key spots that have the most public traffic. Some candidates stand, or get their family members to stand, at the corner of  busy intersections waving a political sign to passers by.  During the election period special community events will be held  "to meet the candidate," where mingling among crowds introducing yourself is a pleasant yet inexpensive way to get your name out.

Knocking on doors is probably the most difficult and tiring  part of the campaign, especially for those running  for a county-wide seat, but many voters do appreciate that the candidate has taken the time to introduce themselves. Candidates running for county commission, county school board or constable need to be aware of their district boundaries in order to reach all voters. In some counties, for a fee, it is possible to pick up a list of all registered voters or those solely within the party of which you are running, this saves time and energy from knocking on the door of non registered voters or those of the opposite party.

Political announcements and advertising, whether they be in newsprint, radio or TV is an essential part of campaigning for office as it announces to the the public serious  intent of the candidate. The Election Commission usually offer a couple of classes for new political candidates which will explain the rules of campaigning and the filing deadlines for the quarterly financial disclosures.

Running for public office is not about winning but more a patriotic offering of services to your country.  Whether elected or not, with a good solid campaign platform a candidate can still make a statement and change the way of  future political decisions.


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