Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton Warren County Director of Elections Lisa Rivett speaks to potential candidates during a forum held on Wednesday evening at the Jackson Courtroom at the Warren County Courthouse.

The 2019 primary election might not be until May 21 but election season is about to kick off.

The first day for prospective candidates to circulate and file nominating petitions is Tuesday.

And a candidate’s event held at the Warren County Courthouse on Wednesday evening aimed to answer and question a candidate might have about the process.

Director Lisa Rivett said she was providing “everything you’ll need to do the paperwork to run for office,” at Wednesday’s forum, attended by just over 30 people.

She walked prospective candidates through all of the forms that would be need to file, form a committee, place their name on the ballot and meet campaign finance obligations.

This election includes the county commissioners, treasurer, auditor, sheriff, prothonotary and register and recorder at the county level as well as councilmembers and supervisors throughout the county’s 27 municipalities.

Further, five Warren County School District board seats are up for re-election.

Rivett said she is unaware at this point of any ballot questions that will be put before the voters.

“There’s a lot,” she said. “Remember, this is a closed primary.”

She repeatedly cautioned potential candidates at procuring petition signatures before next Tuesday.

“(It) can be considered a fatal flaw and you can be kicked off the ballot,” she said.

She also reminded the candidates to make sure that any signs they distribute have to denote who paid for them.

“It sounds really petty but it happens every election,” she said, noting she’s had candidates go out and either take down signs or add the information.

When signs can be displayed – and how quickly they must be taken down after an election – is up to each municipality.

“I have nothing to do with the placement of election signs,” Rivett noted.

Starting Tuesday, signatures can be obtained and petitions filed with Rivett through March 12 at 4:30 p.m.

She said that 100 signatures are needed for the county offices as well as for Warren City Council seats while municipal offices and school board seats require just 10 signatures. The school board seats are the only positions for which candidates can cross-file.

The cost to file 100 names for a county office is $100 and $25 for 100 names for a city office. She said there’s no cost to file for school board or municipal offices.

“I won’t consider you filed until everything is done,” she said.

On campaign finance, Rivett noted that there are fines of up to $250 for being late with the reporting requirements.

“I can’t waver on that,” she said. “It’s the law.”

She encouraged candidates to not “overthink” the campaign finance reporting process.

The Board of Elections is typically the Warren County Commissioners but, with those positions up for election, Rivett said that County Planner Dan Glotz, Veterans Affairs Director Ed Burris and county H.R. Administrator Kim Exley will serve in that capacity, she explained.