Polk County residents will have the next 12 business days to file for local positions.
The filing period for this year’s election begins Monday, Feb. 13 at noon and ends Wednesday, Feb. 29 at noon.
Residents can file as candidates at the Polk County Board of Elections Office located on the second floor of the Womack building in Columbus.
Polk County positions available include three open county commissioner seats and the seats of the register of deeds and clerk of superior court.
Board of education and soil and water conservation district seats are also open this year, but filing for those positions doesn’t begin until June 4 and June 11 respectively.
The seats of Polk County Commissioners Renée McDermott (D), Tom Pack (R) and Cindy Walker (D) are open this year, as is the register of deeds seat currently held by Sheila Whitmire (R).
The seat of the Polk County Clerk of Superior Court, currently held by Pam Hyder (D), is also open this year. Hyder was appointed last year to fill the unexpired term of former clerk Charlene Owens, who retired. Whoever is elected this year to the clerk position will serve the remainder of Owens’ term until 2014 and can run again for a four-year term in 2014.