Candidate Administration

Candidate Forms:

The following list of forms pertain to candidates filing to run for a county office. Copies of all forms and full instructions for filling them out can be found at the Division of Elections web site.  Please contact the Supervisor of Elections office at (386) 758-1026 for information on filing to become a county candidate.  You may also contact the Candidate Coordinator at candinfo@votecolumbia.com by email. 

• DS-DE 9: Appointment of Campaign Treasurer and Designation of Campaign Depository 

• DS-DE 84: Statement of Candidate 

• DS-DE 83: Statement of Candidate for Judicial Office 

• DS-DE 104: Candidate Petition
• The cost of signature verification for candidate and initiative petitions is $0.10 per petition.

Additional forms are required during qualifying week to become a qualified candidate (for county candidates, except county judge, by noon of the 67th day prior to the Primary Election - FS 99.061).  The county judge must file qualifying documents by noon of the 116th day prior to the Primary Election - FS 99.061/105.031.  County candidates should contact the Supervisor of Elections for documents required for qualifying.

NOTE:  All Columbia County candidates must file the Campaign Treasurer's Reports electronically (DS-DE 12, DS-DE 13, DE-DE14 and DS-DE 87) per Columbia County Resolution 2014R-2a.

FLORIDA COMMISSION ON ETHICS INFORMATION:

Statement of Financial Interests (Form 1)

Public records requests for form 1's may be made by contacting our office

WHO MUST FILE:

All persons who fall within the categories of "state officers," "local officers/employees," or "specified state employees," as well as candidates for elective local office, are required to file Form 1. Positions within these categories are listed below. Persons required to file full financial disclosure (Form 6) and officers of the judicial branch do not file Form 1 (see Form 6 for a list of persons who must file that form).

STATE OFFICERS include:

1) Elected public officials not serving in a political subdivision of the state and any person appointed to fill a vacancy in such office, unless required to file full disclosure on Form 6.

2) Appointed members of each board, commission, authority, or council having statewide jurisdiction, excluding members of solely advisory bodies, but including judicial nominating commission members; Directors of Enterprise Florida, Scripps Florida Funding Corporation, and Workforce Florida; and members of the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys; and Governors and senior managers of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation and Florida Workers' Compensation Joint Underwriting Association.

3) The Commissioner of Education, members of the State Board of Education, the Board of Governors, and the local Boards of Trustees and Presidents of state universities.

LOCAL OFFICERS/EMPLOYEES include:

1) Persons elected to office in any political subdivision (such as municipalities, counties, and special districts) and any person appointed to fill a vacancy in such office, unless required to file Form 6.

2) Appointed members of the following boards, councils, commissions, authorities, or other bodies of county, municipality, school district, independent special district, or other political subdivision: the governing body of the subdivision; community college or junior college district boards of trustees; boards having the power to enforce local code provisions; boards of adjustment; planning or zoning boards having the power to recommend, create, or modify land planning or zoning within a political subdivision, except for citizen advisory committees, technical coordinating committees, and similar groups who only have the power to make recommendations to planning or zoning boards; pension or retirement boards empowered to invest pension or retirement funds or determine entitlement to or amount of pensions or other retirement benefits.

3) Any appointed member of a local government board who is required to file a statement of financial interests by the appointing authority or the enabling legislation, ordinance, or resolution creating the board. 

4) Persons holding any of these positions in local government: mayor; county or city manager; chief administrative employee of a county, municipality, or other political subdivision; county or municipal attorney; chief county or municipal building inspector; county or municipal water resources coordinator; county or municipal pollution control director; county or municipal environmental control director; county or municipal administrator with power to grant or deny a land development permit; chief of police; fire chief; municipal clerk; appointed district school superintendent; community college president; district medical examiner; purchasing agent (regardless of title) having the authority to make any purchase exceeding $20,000 for the local governmental unit.

5) Officers and employees of entities serving as chief administrative officer of a political subdivision.

6) Members of governing boards of charter schools operated by a city or other public entity.

SPECIFIED STATE EMPLOYEES include:

1) Employees in the office of the Governor or of a Cabinet member who are exempt from the Career Service System, excluding secretarial, clerical, and similar positions.

2) The following positions in each state department, commission, board, or council: Secretary, Assistant or Deputy Secretary, Executive Director, Assistant or Deputy Executive Director, and anyone having the power normally conferred upon such persons, regardless of title. 

3) The following positions in each state department or division: Director, Assistant or Deputy Director, Bureau Chief, Assistant Bureau Chief, and any person having the power normally conferred upon such persons, regardless of title.

4) Assistant State Attorneys, Assistant Public Defenders, Public Counsel, full-time state employees serving as counsel or assistant counsel to a state agency, administrative law judges, and hearing officers.

5) The Superintendent or Director of a state mental health institute established for training and research in the mental health field, or any major state institution or facility established for corrections, training, treatment, or rehabilitation.

6) State agency Business Managers, Finance and Accounting Directors, Personnel Officers, Grant Coordinators, and purchasing agents (regardless of title) with power to make a purchase exceeding $20,000.

7) The following positions in legislative branch agencies: each employee (other than those employed in maintenance, clerical, secretarial, or similar positions and legislative assistants exempted by the presiding officer of their house); and each employee of the Commission on Ethics.

WHAT TO FILE: After completing all parts of this form, including signing and dating it, send back only the first sheet (pages 1 and 2) for filing.  If you have nothing to report in a particular section, you must write "none" or "n/a" in that section(s).

MULTIPLE FILING UNNECESSARY: Generally, a person who has filed Form 1 for a calendar or fiscal year is not required to file a second Form 1 for the same year. However, a candidate who previously filed Form 1 because of another public position must at least file a copy of his or her original Form 1 when qualifying.

WHERE TO FILE: If you were mailed the form by the Commission on Ethics or a County Supervisor of Elections for your annual disclosure filing, return the form to that location. Local officers/employees file with the Supervisor of Elections of the county in which they permanently reside. (If you do not permanently reside in Florida, file with the Supervisor of the county where your agency has its headquarters.) State officers or specified state employees file with:

The Commission on Ethics
PO Drawer 15709
Tallahassee, FL 32317-5709

Candidates file this form together with their qualifying papers. To determine what category your position falls under, see the "Who Must File" Instructions above.

Facsimiles will not be accepted.

WHEN TO FILE: Initially, each local officer/employee, state officer, and specified state employee must file within 30 days of the date of his or her appointment or of the beginning of employment. Appointees who must be confirmed by the Senate must file prior to confirmation, even if that is less than 30 days from the date of their appointment.

Candidates for publicly-elected local office must file at the same time they file their qualifying papers.  Thereafter, local officers/employees, state officers, and specified state employees are required to file by July 1st following each calendar year in which they hold their positions. Finally, at the end of office or employment, each local officer/employee, state officer, and specified state employee is required to file a final disclosure form (Form 1F) within 60 days of leaving office or employment. However, filing a CE Form 1F (Final Statement of Financial Interests) does not relieve the filer of filing a CE Form 1 if he or she was in their position on December 31 of the respective year. 

Full and Public Disclosure of Financial Interests (Form 6)

Public records requests for Form 6's must be made with the Commission on Ethics.

 WHO MUST FILE:  All persons holding the following elective positions, and candidates for such offices: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Cabinet members, members of the Legislature, Circuit Court Judges, County Judges, State Attorneys, Public Defenders, Clerks of Circuit Courts, Sheriffs, Tax Collectors, Property Appraisers, Supervisors of Elections, County Commissioners, elected Superintendents of Schools, members of District School Boards, Mayor and members of the Jacksonville City Council.

All persons holding the following appointive positions: Justices of the Supreme Court; Judges of the District Court of Appeals; Judges of Compensation Claims; the Duval County Superintendent of Schools; and members of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation Board, the Florida Prepaid College Board, and each expressway authority, transportation authority (except the Jacksonville Transportation Authority), or toll authority created pursuant to F.S. Chapter 348 or 343 or any other general law.

WHAT TO FILE: File only the first sheet (pages 1 and 2).  

Facsimiles will not be accepted.

WHERE TO FILE:

All Candidates (including current officeholders):

The officer before whom they qualify. If a Form 6 is filed with a qualifying officer, it need not also be filed with the Commission.   The qualifying officer will ensure that the Form 6 is also filed with The Commission on Ethics.

Officeholders: