Running for Local Office

Spring 2024

In 2024, two, 2 year Fort Atkinson City Council seats will be on the ballot. There will be one, 1 year seat also on the ballot. Candidates must be 18 years of age or older and a resident of the City of Fort Atkinson to run for City Council.  The municipal judge seat will also be up for election. 

In accordance with Article XIII, Section 3(2),(3) of the Wisconsin State Constitution, no person may hold any state or local elected office in Wisconsin if the person has been convicted of a felony in any court in the United States unless they have been pardoned of the conviction.

Additionally, no person may have their name placed on the ballot for any state or local elected office in Wisconsin if they have been convicted of a felony in any court in the United States unless they have been pardoned of the conviction. Candidates for federal office are not excluded from running due to a previous felony conviction. 

As a candidate, you are responsible for familiarizing yourself with the election and campaign finance requirements that apply to your campaign, which you may obtain from either the Wisconsin Statutes or from your private attorney. In addition, you may obtain general information about elections from the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Information you receive from the City Clerk’s Office may not be interpreted as legal advice or a release from your responsibility to comply with the law.

Important Dates

Necessary Forms

The following forms must be completed and filed by 5:00 pm the first Tuesday in January in order for the candidate’s name to be placed on the ballot for the Spring Primary and/or the Spring General Election:

• Campaign Registration Statement PDF
• Declaration of Candidacy 
• Nomination Papers 

Campaign Registration Statement

This form should be filed with the City Clerk’s Office prior to announcing your candidacy for office, or no later than the deadline for filing nomination papers. New candidates should file a campaign registration statement PDF  as soon as intent to seek elective office is known and before funds are collected or spent – see State Statute 11.05(2g) and 11.10(1). Continuing candidates must file an amended campaign registration statement indicating the office sought and the new primary and election dates. The campaign registration statement must be signed by both the candidate and the campaign treasurer, if a treasurer has been appointed.

Declaration of Candidacy

The declaration of candidacy must include the candidate’s name in the form it is to appear on the official ballot. A candidate may use their full legal name or any combination of first name, middle name, initials, or nickname with last name. No abbreviations or titles are permitted.

Nicknames with an apparent electoral purpose or benefit, such as "Lower Taxes," "None of the Above" or "Lower Spending" are not permitted. A nickname is a substitute for the candidate’s legal name. It is not permissible to add the nickname in quotes or parentheses between the first and last name. For example, John “Jack” Jones is not acceptable, but Jack Jones is acceptable.

Nomination Papers

The first day for circulating nomination papers is December 1, and the deadline for filing nomination papers is 5:00 pm on the first Tuesday in January. This deadline is extended to the first Wednesday in January if the first Tuesday of January is a holiday (§8.10).

Signatures of qualified electors on nomination papers must be obtained between December 1, 2023, and 5:00 pm on January 2, 2024. Please pay careful attention to the signatures you obtain on your nomination papers. Those signing do not need to be registered voters, but must be eligible to vote. It is to your advantage to check that the addresses on your nomination papers are from the municipality you are running to represent. Signatures for addresses outside of that municipality are invalid and will not be counted.

Signers must give their complete address (house number, street and municipality – no Post Office boxes), and must list the municipality of residence. Signers must date their signature, including the year. In order for a signature to be valid, state law requires the signer to legibly print their name in a space provided next to their signature.

Although the person signing the nomination papers must reside within the municipality, the person circulating the nomination papers does not need to live in the municipality. Circulators are only required to be U.S. citizens, age 18 or older on the date of circulation, and not otherwise disqualified as an elector by the provisions in State Statute 6.03.

The circulator must certify the nomination papers after obtaining the signatures. Signatures dated after the date listed by the circulator are invalid and will not be counted. Nomination papers must be numbered. You may determine whether an address is in your district by checking online on the Jefferson County Land Records website. Signatures for addresses outside of that district are invalid and will not be counted.

Clerk's Office Procedures

When you file nomination papers with the Clerk's Office your nomination papers will be checked for validity. The Clerk's Office will check nomination papers in the order they are submitted to the office. A benefit of submitting your nomination papers prior to January 2, 2024, is that the Clerk's Office should be able to verify the validity of your nomination papers prior to the filing deadline. The Clerk's Office will contact you to let you know whether your nomination papers were sufficient.

After the January 2 deadline, candidates’ names will be drawn by lot for the order of placement on the ballot.

If a potential candidate does not submit all necessary forms and an adequate number of valid nomination signatures by 5:00 pm on January 2, 2024, their name will not be placed on the ballot.

Notification of Non-Candidacy

The notification of non-candidacy  form is to notify the City Clerk’s Office and the electorate of an incumbent officeholder’s intent to not seek re-election to the same office. Incumbent office holders who do not intend to seek re-election to the same office should file the notification of non-candidacy no later than 5:00 pm on December 22, 2023. If an incumbent not seeking re-election files the notification timely, the nomination paper deadline is unchanged. If the incumbent has a change of mind after filing the notification of non-candidacy, they can run for re-election by filing the appropriate ballot access papers by January 2, 2024.

File your forms with:

City Clerk’s Office
Fort Atkinson Municipal Building
101 N. Main St.
Fort Atkinson, WI 53538