Prepare if planning to seek office

Jay County’s Purdue Extension Office and Jay County Clerk’s Office are partnering on an event at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Jay County Courthouse. It is designed to provide advice to anyone considering running for local office.

Great idea.

More often than not when there are challenges to candidates, errors in advertising or issues with campaign finance reporting, the answer is “I didn’t know.”

This event looks to be attempting to provide the information candidates need to know prior to running for office. If you’re planning or considering a run, please attend (Filing for the next election cycle begins Wednesday.)

While we’re on the topic, we’d also like to provide some advice:

•Visit the Indiana Secretary of State Election Division website (in.gov/sos/elections). Click on “candidate information.” You’ll find a variety of documents and forms there, including a 2024 candidate guide. There’s also a 2024 election calendar brochure that includes all of the dates and deadlines for this year’s election cycle.

•Attend a meeting. Especially if you plan on running for commissioner or council (both have seats up for election this year), attend one of their meetings. We know from experience that walking into such a meeting for the first time can be overwhelming. It’s like joining a conversation everyone else in the room has been part of for years. If you’re running for office, you need to have a lay of the land, get to know the people and processes involved and understand the issues being discussed.

•Know why you’re running. This seems obvious, but in our experience it’s not. Why do you want to run? What issues are important to you and where do you stand on them? What do you think about the major topics that have been discussed over the last year? What do you want to do if you are elected to the office you’re seeking? There’s a lot more to think about beyond those questions, but those are the basics you should have answers to before even thinking about filing paperwork to run.

•Make sure you’re running for the right office. It’s not at all unusual for someone to run while clearly not understanding what that particular office actually does. We recall a commissioner candidate who talked endlessly about finances. While commissioners certainly make decisions that impact finances, Jay County Council is the fiscal body. A little research in advance can help make sure you’re running for the office that best impacts the things you care about.

•If you plan on running as a member of one of the two major political parties, talk to your county chair and/or others involved in the party locally. These folks can help determine if you are eligible to run for the party — rules require that "the two most recent primary elections in Indiana in which the candidate voted were primary elections held by the party with which the candidate claims affiliation" and/or receive approval from the party chair — and can help guide you through the election process.

•Ask. If you don’t know, ask. Ask the party chair. Ask the county clerk. Ask an elected official. Ask someone. There’s no shame in not knowing something. Be willing to ask the questions to find out the information you need to know.

Running for office is an excellent way to get involved and to make an impact on your community. We encourage those who plan to run to properly prepare themselves for that important task. — R.C.