Municipal candidates in Marion, Chilhowie and Saltville will be seeking election in November.
Candidates seeking a seat on town council in Marion must obtain a required number of signatures on a petition from registered voters residing within the town in order to qualify for the ballot.
According to Smyth County Voter Registrar Sandy Elswick, three incumbent council members whose seats are up for election this year have qualified for the ballot: Jim Barker, Susie Jennings and Trish Spencer. Several others have been collecting signatures, including Councilmember Avery Cornett, whose seat is also up for election, but have not yet qualified for the ballot.
Candidates for town council in Chilhowie and Saltville are not required to collect signatures.
Seats up for election in Chilhowie are currently held by council members Brent Foster, Donna Blevins and Lewis Shortt. Mayor Gary Heninger is also up for election.
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Seats open in Saltville are for councilmembers Eugene Call, Bryan Morris and Jeff Comer as well as for Mayor Todd Young who has filed for re-election. Stephen Hennegar has filed for a council seat.
Terms for council members are four years while terms for mayor are two years.
Candidates have until 7 p.m. on June 21 to collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot in Marion or to file for election in Chilhowie and Saltville.
Legislation enacted by the General Assembly last year shifted town elections from the traditional May until November.
