Director Elections

Thank you for your interest in joining our Board! Our Board of Directors and Associate Directors are an integral part of our team.

Board Voter Election Procedures

STEP 1: Before applying, please review the attached info sheet about Board Director roles, responsibilities, and eligibility criteria.

STEP 2: Submit a Declaration of Candidacy with Oregon Department of Agriculture.

STEP 3: Obtain Nomination Signatures and submit your Petition for Nomination Signature Sheet.

STEP 4: Submit your Benton SWCD Board Director Application.

Board Eligibility and Elections

SWCD director elections occur every two years during the General Election. 

Any registered voter living in a conservation district with at least 250,000 people can now run for all board positions. The next General Election is scheduled to take place on November 3 2026. This year, BSWCD has two Director positions open for election: Zones 1, 4 and 5. Currently, there are no nominees for Zones 4&5. Voters are welcome to write in a candidate, but the votes will only be counted if the write in candidate has submitted paperwork by 10/20/2026 to ODA. That link is here: Declaration of Intent and Request for Write-In Votes to be Tallied for District Director 

See a map of our District and our Zones HERE.

Board Director Eligibility Requirements

At-Large Directors

• At-Large directors must reside within the BSWCD boundary.
• Be a registered voter in that District.

Zone Directors

• Reside within the boundaries of the district and within the zone that is represented.
• Be a registered voter.

Additional Zone Director Requirements

In counties with fewer than 250,000 residents, zone directors must also meet one of these:

• Own or manage 10+ acres in the zone(s) they represent and be actively involved in land management; or
• Demonstrate interest in natural resource conservation by:
  • Serving at least 1 year as a director or associate director of a district, and
  • Having a conservation plan approved by the district Oregon.gov+2.

Important Dates 2026

• July 16th – First day to file Declaration of Candidacy & Petition for Nomination (signatures must be verified – details below)
• August 18th-Last day to file for elected incumbent district candidate seeking re-election (5 PM)
• August 25th – Last day to file Declaration of New Candidacy & Petition for Nomination (5 PM)
• September 3rd – Last day to file a statement for inclusion in county voters’ pamphlet
• November 3rd – Election Day
• January 1st, 2027 – First day of Director term

Election forms, instructions and candidate packets may be found at the Oregon Department of Agriculture SWCD Elections page.

How to file as a candidate

1. Candidates must submit their Petition for Nomination Signature Sheet to the local county elections official for signature verification. You will need 10 confirmed valid signatures.
2. Candidates must retrieve their certified Petition for Nomination Signature Sheet from the county elections official and submit it, plus the Declaration of Candidacy form, to ODA by schedule listed above. The County Clerk does NOT submit your petition to ODA for you.

Below are direct links for:

• Candidate Packet for SWCD Director 2026 elections:

https://www.oregon.gov/oda/Documents/Publications/NaturalResources/SWCD-Candidate-Packet.pdf

• Fillable forms:

 https://www.oregon.gov/oda/Documents/Publications/NaturalResources/Declaration-Candidacy-Form.pdf https://www.oregon.gov/oda/Documents/Publications/NaturalResources/Candidacy-Signature-Form.pdf

Find out more about BSWCD Board of Directors here.

Find out more about the Operations of the BSWCD Board of Directors here.

More information about SWCD statutes, including ORS Chapter 568