Vail certifies 11 petitions for four vacant town council seats in Nov. 7 election

The Vail Town Clerk’s Office has received and validated nomination petitions from 11 candidates, including three incumbents, who have filed to run for the four open Vail Town Council seats in the Nov. 7 election. The deadline for submitting nomination petitions was 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28. The candidates who successfully filed petitions by the deadline are (in alphabetical order):

• Jenn Bruno
• Dave Chapin
• Travis Coggin
• Mark Gordon
• Rodney Johnson
• Bart Longworth
• Greg Moffet
• Edward Padilla
• Brian Rodine
• Taylor Strickland
• Lynda Van Norman

Bruno, Chapin and Moffet are the incumbents on the ballot. The remaining seat up for election is held by Dick Cleveland. Mark Gordon has served previously as a Town Council member.

Ballot order for the 11 candidates will be determined following a drawing by the Town Clerk’s Office at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29 in the Vail Municipal Building.

Town of Vail elections are non-partisan. In accordance with the town’s charter, voters may select up to four candidates. The three candidates receiving the highest number of votes will serve four-year terms, while the fourth highest vote-getter will serve a two-year term. The mayor and mayor-pro tem are elected from among the council members and each serves a two-year term.

Eligibility requirements include being a U.S. citizen, a registered Vail voter, a resident of Vail for two years immediately preceding the election and collection of a minimum of 10 valid signatures from registered Vail voters on a nomination petition.

Vail’s Nov. 7 election is an at-the-polls format with all voting taking place at the Town of Vail Municipal Building, 75 S. Frontage Road., from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters who won’t be casting ballots in person at the polls on Nov. 7 must fill out an application for an absentee voter ballot. The application form is available from the Town Clerk’s Office or on the town’s website at vailgov.com.  The deadline to submit an absentee voting request form is Nov. 3.  Persons completing an application for permanent absentee voter status will be mailed a ballot; anyone receiving a mail-in ballot becomes ineligible to vote at the polls.

Eligible voters include those who are U.S. citizens, are 18 years of age or older and have resided in Colorado 22 days immediately preceding the election. Voter registration is available through the State of Colorado online voter registration system. To register, go to govotecolorado.com.  Voters will also be able to register in person at the Eagle County Clerk & Recorder’s offices up to the day of election.

In addition to the Town of Vail regular municipal election, Eagle County will mail a separate ballot for any Eagle County, state or special district elections. For information on the county election, contact the Eagle County Clerk and Recorder’s Office at 970-328-8715. For questions about the Vail election, contact  the Town Clerk’s Office at 970-479-2136 or access the town’s website at vailgov.com/election