COLUMBUS — Polk County residents will have until noon on Wednesday to file to run for the 2018 election.

Filing began on Feb. 12, with several candidates filing for both local and state races.

The latest to file was Tim Wright (R), for Polk County Sheriff, and Terry Paul Beiler (R), for Polk County Commissioner.

The list is growing for sheriff and commissioner candidates. There are currently four candidates to fill three commissioner seats, and four candidates for sheriff.

B.J. Bayne (D), Ronnie Smith (D), Darryl Bailey (R) and Wright (R) have filed for sheriff so far.

For commissioners, incumbents Tommy Melton (R) and Ray Gasperson (D) have filed, as well as newcomers Carolyn Ashburn (D) and Beiler.

The seat of Polk County Clerk of Court is also up for re-election, with incumbent Pam Hyder (D) filing.

There are four seats available for the Polk County School Board with Mike Ashworth filing for a Tryon Township seat along with incumbents Geoffrey Tennant filing to retain his Columbus Township seat, Sherry Page filing to retain her Green Creek Township seat, and Judy Jackson filing to retain her Coopers Gap Township seat.

Other races on Polk County’s ballot include U.S. House of Representatives District 10, with David Wilson Brown (D), Gina Rockey Collias (R), incumbent Patrick Timothy McHenry (R), Jeffrey Dale Gregory (R) and Ira Roberts III (R) filing; North Carolina State Senate District 47, with Cheryl Darlene Swofford (D), Christopher Houston Rumflet (D) and incumbent Ralph Edward Hise Jr. (R) filing; North Carolina House of Representatives District 113, with Samuel Craft Edney (D) and incumbent Cody Hayden Henson (R) filing and for District Attorney District 42 (formerly 29B), with Mary Ann Jacobson Hollocker (R) and incumbent Gregory Alan Newman (R) filing.

The primary election is scheduled for May 8. Early voting for the primary will begin on April 19, and end on May 5.

The general election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 6, with early voting from Oct. 18-Nov. 3.

Filing can be done for county seats at the Polk County Board of Elections Office, located on the second floor of the Womack building in Columbus until noon Wednesday.

For more information about the upcoming election, call the Polk County Board of Elections Office at 828-894-8181 or visit polknc.org.