Local residents seeking to become candidates in the upcoming city elections have just a few more days to get their paperwork turned in to qualify.

The cities of Elizabethton, Watauga, and Johnson City will be holding elections for a variety of city offices in November, and candidates have until noon on Thursday, August 16, to get their names on the ballots. City officials are elected at large rather than by districts as the county representatives are divided.

Four seats out of the seven on the Elizabethton City Council will be up for grabs in November. Those seats are currently held by Bill Carter, Wes Frazier, Sam Shipley, and Richard Tester.

Two of the five seats on the Elizabethton Board of Education are up for election. Tyler Fleming and Susan Peters currently occupy those positions.

In the City of Watauga, voters will chose two members to serve on the Watauga City Commission. Those positions are currently held by Mickey Fair and Delisa Lafleur.

In Johnson City, four seats are up for grabs on the Johnson City Board of Education and two positions are up for election on the Johnson City Board of Commissioners.

According to the Carter County Election Commission, 757 voters registered in Carter County are eligible to vote in elections for the City of Johnson City due to their residence being within the city limits of Johnson City. Administrator of Elections Tracy Harris said those eligible live in the Milligan area, the South Roan Street area of Johnson City, and one road in the Watauga area of Carter County.

To qualify as candidates for any of the city races, the individual must have been a resident of the applicable city for at least one year. Those seeking election to a Board of Education must also possess either a high school diploma or GED.

Harris said also appearing on the ballot in November will be one unexpired term on the Carter County Board of Education.

Carter County BOE Chairman Rusty Barnett was elected to the office of Carter County Mayor during the August 2 County General Election. Under state law, Barnett cannot hold another elected office while serving as Mayor and he has announced his intention to resign from the BOE before being sworn in as County Mayor on September 1.

Because of the time frame involved regarding the vacancy, officials with the Tennessee Division of Elections said the qualifying deadline for residents seeking election to fulfill the remainder of Barnett’s term would have until noon on Sept. 12 to file their paperwork with the Carter County Election Commission. Barnett represents the county’s 4th District on the BOE, and his term is set to expire in 2020.

For more information regarding any of the listed elections please contact the Carter County Election Commission at 423-542-1822.