People interested in vying for one of two Olympia School Board seats on the November General Election ballot may submit an application online during candidate filing week May 17-21, 2021.
The two Olympia School Board positions up for election on the November 2, 2021 General Election ballot are:
- Director District #3, currently held by Leslie Huff; 4-year term.
- Director District #5, currently held by Scott Clifthorne; 4-year term.
People interested in serving on the school board may file in one of three ways:
- Online: Starting 9 a.m. May 17 through 4 p.m. May 21 at ThurstonVotes.org
- By mail: May 3 through May 21 (must be received at the Thurston County Auditor’s Office, 2000 Lakeridge Dr. S.W., Olympia, WA 98502 no later than 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 21)
- Drive-thru or In-person: May 17 through May 21, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Thurston County Auditor’s Office, 2400 Evergreen Park Drive S.W. Olympia, WA 98502
For more information about filing for a seat on the Olympia School Board, visit the Thurston County Auditor’s Office Elections Division website. Candidates must be at least 18 years old, reside in the district for which they are filing and be a registered voter at the time of filing. There are some judicial exceptions; for more information, contact Thurston County Auditor’s Office Elections Division at (360) 786-5408.
A Primary Election will be held on August 3, 2021 if three or more people file for a board seat, followed by the General Election on November 2, 2021.
A map showing the boundaries of the five Olympia School District director districts is posted on the Thurston County Elections Division website. Additionally, people interested in running for a board seat may enter their home address to locate their director district on an interactive map.
Other resources for potential school board candidates include the 2021 Candidate Guide, a new “Serving on Your Local School Board” webpage on the Washington State School Directors Association website, and a Candidate Filing Workshop Video on the Thurston County Auditor’s Office website