Benton County, Oregon

Making Benton County a Better Place to Live

Benton County Elections – Benton County Commissioner

This office will appear on the May 15, 2012 Primary Election ballot.

The following is an outline of the qualifications and steps to be taken, and important dates to remember, if you are interested in serving on the Board of Commissioners.

Requirements for the office of County Commissioner:

  • Must be United States citizen and registered voter;
  • Must be 21 years of age or older;
  • Must be resident of Benton County one year prior to election;
  • No other special qualifications or certifications required;
  • Term of office is for the duration of four years;
  • If office is vacant, county governing body appoints qualified person to serve until successor is elected at next regular election;
  • To learn more on qualifications and other information pertaining to the office of County Commissioner, refer to the Oregon Revised Statues Chapter 204 (offsite link, opens in new window).

Republican and Democratic candidates who are nominated in the May 15, 2012 Primary Election will appear on the November 6, 2012 General Election ballot.

First day to file: September 8, 2011
Last day to file: March 6, 2012
File by declaration: $50.00
File by petition: Contact the Benton County Elections Office for timeline

Nonpartisan and Minor Party candidates can contact Benton County Elections Division for more information concerning filing to appear on the November 6, 2012 General Election ballot.

First day to file:
May 30, 2012
Last day to file:
August 28, 2012
File by declaration:
$50.00
File by petition:
Contact the Benton County Elections Office for timeline

Filing Forms and Manual

Filing forms must be typed or typed information attached to form.

Forms below are fillable pdf files and can be viewed using Adobe Acrobat© Reader, which may be downloaded for free (offsite link, opens in new window) if you do not already have it. You may complete the form on your computer by tabbing through the fields and typing the appropriate information. After completing the form, print it and sign it, before submitting it to the elections office either in person or by mail. An original signature is required. These forms can also be obtained at the Elections Office 120 NW 4th St Room 13, Corvallis, OR 97330.

County Candidate's Manual (offsite link, opens in new window)
This manual is published by the Secretary of State Elections' Division. It has pertinent information and forms needed to run for the office of County Commissioner.

SEL 101 Candidate Filing (offsite link, opens in new window)
Be sure to mark the box indicating if the candidate will file by paying a fee or by collecting signatures. Include both your full legal name and the name as you wish it to appear on the ballot. If there will be no voters' pamphlet for this election, this filing will appear on the Benton County Elections website at http://www.co.benton.or.us/elections.

SEL 102 Candidate Signature Sheet - Major Party (offsite link, opens in new window)
SEL 121 Candidate Signature Sheet - Nonpartisan (offsite link, opens in new window)
Used only if the candidate is filing by collecting signatures. Make sure you know how many signatures you will need, that signer live in your district, and that you obtain at least 10% more signatures that are actually needed. Remember when filing by petition to file in advance of the deadline to give elections officials time to complete the signature verification process. Please contact the Benton County Elections Office for timeline.

SEL 301 Statement One or More / No Petition Circulators Will be Paid (offsite link, opens in new window)
Confirms circulators will, or will not be paid to collect signatures for the candidate.

SEL 220 Statement of Organization for Candidate Committee (offsite link, opens in new window)
SEL 220 can be filed before filing as a candidate. Once it has been filed, a candidate may begin to accept and spend money for the campaign. Statements of Organization and campaign finance reports are filed with the Secretary of State's Elections Division.

SEL 150 Withdrawal of Candidacy or Nomination (offsite link, opens in new window)
There is a deadline to withdraw as a candidate. Contact Benton County Elections for more information.

Contribution and Expenditure Filings [Campaign Finance] (offsite link, opens in new window)
Contribution and Expenditure filings are now filed with Secretary of State Office. Please contact the Elections Division at 503-986-1518 or visit their website (offsite link, opens in new window) for more information.

County Voters' Pamphlet
First, determine if there will be a voters' pamphlet produced for this election. This publication is included in ballot envelopes, or delivered one per household. It will also appear on the Benton County Elections website. Fees charged are determined by the size of the district the candidate is running for. Fill out the forms and file them with the Benton County Elections Office by the deadline listed on the form.

If there is no County Voters' Pamphlet for this election, candidate's information will appear in the Benton County Elections website.