Although High Country temperatures continue to drop, the 2010 election season is heating up when filing for office begins Monday at noon.

It will continue through noon on Friday, Feb. 26.

Filing will take place at the Ashe County Board of Elections in Suite 2100 of the Ashe County Courthouse.

Board of elections Director John Shepherd explained that three county commissioner seats are up for re-election. Those seats are currently held by Democrats Richard Blackburn and Gary Barber and Republican Chairwoman Judy Porter Poe. The two candidates who receive the most votes will each earn a four-year term. The elected official who ranks third in the total number of voters will receive a two-year term.

Sheriff James Williams, a Democrat, Clerk of Court Pam Barlow Republican, and Register of Deeds Shirley Wallace, Democrat, will also look to defend their respective offices, each four-year terms.

Filing for all candidates who wish to run for the three seats on the Ashe County Board of Education will open in June. These offices are non-partisan and a four-year term. The election will take place in November along with the other races.

At the federal level, Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr will be seeking another six-year term in office and Republican Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, representing the Fifth Congressional District of North Carolina, will be seeking re-election for another four-year term in office.

In the North Carolina General Assembly, Sen. Steve Goss, Democrat and Rep. Cullie Tarleton, Democrat, are also seeking re-election. Goss is being challenged so far by Republican Dan Soucek of Watauga County.

Primary Day will take place May 11. A running list of the candidates who have filed for the elections will be listed in future editions of the Jefferson Post as it becomes available.

Filing fees to run for each respective office are also available. All prospective candidates must pay $140.77 to run on the county commissioner ticket. Filing fees for the office of sheriff and clerk of court are $605.55 and $824.01 respectively. The fee to run as a candidate for the position of register of deeds is $466.86. These fees are based on a percentage of each office’s earned salary.

For more information on filing, please contact the Board of Elections at 846-5570.