There are 21 candidates for six open seats on Colorado Springs City Council, with Wednesday as the deadline for filing nomination petitions.

The municipal election will only have mail ballots, which are expected to be sent out by the city clerk’s office March 8.

“That’s our goal, is to take all the ballots to the post office March 8,” said city clerk Sarah Johnson, who took the job June 4.

April 2 is election day, so mail ballots must be returned by that deadline.

Johnson will conduct a random drawing for candidate ballot position at 11 a.m. Friday at the City Administration Building.

“We’ll be putting contact information for the candidates on our website on Friday,” Johnson said.

Monday is the last day for candidates to withdraw, so the ballot — which will also contain one or two ballot questions — will be certified Tuesday. City Council members will decide at their scheduled Tuesday meeting whether to add a ballot question concerning their level of compensation.

City Council approved a ballot question about the Trails and Open Space tax. If passed by voters, it will increase to 20 percent — about $1 million of the tax generated annually — that can be used for maintenance of any city park. If the measure doesn’t pass, only six percent — or roughly $300,000 — will be allowed for park maintenance.

The last day to register to vote is March 4. The last day to file an application to vote absentee by mail is March 26.

“Coming off the Presidential election, most people are probably registered or have updated their information but they need to make sure,” Johnson said. “It’s good to be proactive and update an address or name change.”

To register, update or check voter status, go to www.govotecolorado.com.

District boundaries for City Council changed recently. Voters can check to see which district and candidates apply to them at http://gis.springsgov.com/districts.

“Voters will get a ballot that only has the candidates from their district listed,” Johnson said. “They’ll vote for their district and one or two ballot questions.”

The three at-large City Council seats — terms last four years for all nine seats — are up for election in 2015, along with the mayor.

Overseas ballots to citizens living abroad and military personnel must be sent out at least 45 days before election date, so Johnson said those will be mailed prior to Feb. 16.

ELECTION INFORMATION

For more information about the candidates and election, go to www.springsgov.com/clerk. The website provides options for voter registration online, by email, mail, fax and in person at the city clerk’s office at 30 S. Nevada Ave, Suite 101.

To check voter registration, go to www.govotecolorado.com or call 385-5901 (option 1).

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Contact Bob Stephens: 636-0276 Twitter @bobgstephens

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