Filing period is Dec. 10-12 for top position in King County elections office

A special three-day candidate filing for the county’s chief election official is Dec. 10-12.

A special three-day candidate filing for the county’s chief election official is Dec. 10-12.

Candidates interested in this non-partisan position will need to file in person or by mail at election headquarters in Renton from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. State law directs that special filing periods be only three days rather than the traditional five-day filing period held every June.

Voters approved charter amendment 1, choosing to elect the director of the Elections Division in the Feb. 3 special election. Most recently the director has been appointed by the county executive and confirmed by the King County Council.

Responsibilities of the elections director include administering up to six elections a year for 143 jurisdictions, managing the voter rolls for 1.1 million voters, filing candidates for office, verifying initiatives and petitions, and managing a staff of 61 full time staffers and more than 600 temporary employees, and over-seeing a budget of $19,586,056.

The salary is $146,040, with the term in office beginning on Feb. 18. Initially, the term is for two years, Dec. 31, 2011. The full, four-year term will be on the ballot in August 2011.