Elections

Running For City Council

The 2024 general election takes place on November 5. Three seats on the City Council (those currently held by Mayor Julie Fitzgerald, Councilor President Kristin Akervall, and Councilor Joann Linville) are to be contested in this election.

Roles and Responsibilities

City Councilors serve four-year terms. Wilsonville does not have districts or precincts; each councilor serves the entire community at large. All seats are non-partisan.

To be eligible to sit on the City Council, a candidate must:

Be a United States citizen
Have residence within Wilsonville city limits for at least 12 months prior to the election date
Be registered to vote

The Wilsonville City Council typically meets twice a month, on the first and third Monday of each month. However, should the Monday fall on a holiday, the meeting will be held that Thursday. Generally, a work session is held at 5 pm, followed by the regular meeting at 7 pm. If needed an Executive Session will occur before or after the City Council meeting.

City Councilors also serve as members of the Urban Renewal Agency (meetings held as necessary, usually before or after a Council meeting) and the Budget Committee (spring meetings to confirm the annual fiscal year budget). Councilors may receive additional assignments as liaisons to City Boards and Commissions and/or as representatives on state/county/regional boards.

Running for Office

If you are interested in running for office the City strongly encourages you to set-up an appointment to review important filing deadlines, paperwork, and process questions. To schedule an appointment contact the City Recorder, by email at CityRecorder@ci.wilsonville.or.us or by phone at 503-570-1506.

Filing Dates

Prospective and/or Completed Petition filed: No earlier than June 5, 2024
Last day to file with the City: August 20, 2024, this deadline is prior to the State deadline to ensure sufficient time to verify signatures and provide an opportunity to correct or obtain additional signatures.
Completed Petition filed with State: No later than, August 27, 2024, by 5 pm

How to File

Please read carefully the County, City and District Candidates Manual and Campaign Finance Manual which will provide instructions to help you through the process. These manuals are available online at the Secretary of State’s Election Division website.

STEP 1 - FILE PROSPECTIVE PETITION

Contact the City Recorder, by email at CityRecorder@ci.wilsonville.or.us or by phone at 503-570-1506 to schedule a time to drop off the forms.

The following items must be completed for submission:

SEL 101 Candidate Filing – Major Political Party or Nonpartisan
SEL 121 Candidate Signature Sheet - Nonpartisan

PRIOR to gathering any signatures, the SEL 101 and SEL 121 must be approved by the City Recorder or designee. Failure to do so will result in the rejection of those signature sheets.

STEP 2 - CIRCULATE PETITION/COLLECT SIGNATURES

Following notice of approval provided in writing by the City Recorder or designee, a candidate may circulate the Candidate Signature Sheet (SEL 121 ).

Pursuant to the City of Wilsonville Charter, a candidate must collect 20 valid signatures from registered voters in Wilsonville. It is highly advisable that candidates collect more than the 20 signatures to account for voters who may not be registered and/or who reside outside of Wilsonville.

All signatures must be original signatures of the signers, and witnessed by the petition circulator. The petition circulator must complete the Circulator Certification (at the bottom of the signature sheet) after witnessing all signatures collected on a sheet. Do not sign and date your petition sheet(s) until all signatures have been gathered.

STEP 3 - FILE YOUR COMPLETED PETITION

After a sufficient number of signatures have been collected, candidates must provide the City Recorder or designee the following:

SEL 338 Petition Submission - Candidate, Voters' Pamphlet
SEL 121 Candidate Signature Sheet - Nonpartisan

Contact the City Recorder by email at CityRecorder@ci.wilsonville.or.us or by phone at 503-570-1506 to schedule a time to drop off the forms. The City Recorder will then verify the signatures for sufficiency and validity with the Clackamas County Elections Division. The signature sheets must be submitted to the City Recorder no later than August 20, 2024, to ensure that there is sufficient time to verify the signatures and provide an opportunity to obtain additional signatures if necessary.

STEP 4 - STATEMENT OF ORGANIZATION AND CAMPAIGN FINANCE REQUIREMENTS

Each candidate must establish a campaign account and file a Statement of Organization designating a candidate committee, unless the candidate meets all three of the following conditions:

The candidate serves as the candidate’s own treasurer;
The candidate does not have an existing candidate committee; and
The candidate does not expect to receive or spend more than $750 during a calendar year.

However, if at any time the candidate exceeds $750 in either contributions or expenditures, the candidate must establish a campaign account within three business days of exceeding the $750 threshold and file with the Secretary of State’s Election Division:

SEL 220 Statement of Organization for Candidate Committee

Candidates may also, file the Certificate of Limited Contributions and Expenditures (PC7) if the candidate does not expect to spend or receive more than $3,500 during the campaign. The form must be filed with the Secretary of State’s Election Division before the deadline of the first Contribution and Expenditure filings.

PC7 Certificate of Limited Contributions and Expenditures

Please review the Campaign Finance Manual for instructions and a schedule of filing deadlines.

Oregon law requires that campaign finance activities be filed electronically (with State Elections). Candidates use ORESTAR free of charge to file forms.

Voter Pamphlet

Candidate Statements for the County Voters’ Pamphlet(s) must be filed directly with Washington and/or Clackamas Counties no later than 5 pm. September 9, 2024, for inclusion in the respective County Voters’ Pamphlet.

Additional information concerning cost, requirements, and filing deadlines are available from either Washington County or Clackamas County Elections Offices.

Withdrawal of Candidacy or Nomination

To withdraw from candidacy or nomination, a candidate must file a Withdrawal of Candidacy of Nomination (SEL 150) with the City Recorder or designee. This form must be filed no later than 5 pm, August 30, 2024; otherwise candidate’s name will be printed on the ballot.

SEL 150 Candidate Filing - Withdrawal

Signage Regulations

If you have, or plan to have, signs displayed for an upcoming election please note that the City of Wilsonville has regulations regarding signs:

A Guide to Lawn Signs in the City of Wilsonville

Registering to Vote

To cast a ballot in an election, you must be registered to vote. To register you must be a United States citizen, a resident of the State of Oregon, and at least 16 years of age by the next general election. Individuals who are under 18 and register to vote will be put in a “pending” status on their voter registration until an election occurs on or after their 18th birthday. If you are a new resident to Wilsonville or have moved within the City, you will need to re-register to vote.

Voter Registration Forms

Voter Registration is available online through the Oregon Secretary of State's website. A new registrant must register by 11:59:59 pm on the 21st calendar day before the election) to be eligible to vote in the general election.

Instead of registering to vote online, you can complete a Voter Registration form and return it by mail to the elections office in your county of residence. The completed form must be received by the Clackamas County or Washington County Elections Division no later than 5 pm the 21st calendar day before the election) to be eligible to vote in the general election.

Voter registration forms must be mailed or delivered to the Elections Division at:

Clackamas County Elections Division
1710 Red Soils Court #100
Oregon City, OR 97045

elections@clackamas.us l 503-655-8510

Washington County Elections Division
2925 NE Aloclek Drive #170
Hillsboro, OR 97124

elections@washingtoncountyor.gov l 503-846-5800