With ongoing winter weather and a looming deadline, West Virginia’s secretary of state is encouraging those considering running for public office to not wait until the last minute to file.

The deadline to file for statewide office in West Virginia’s May primary election is 11:59 p.m. Saturday, while county elections will have until noon Saturday and municipal offices at close of business Friday.

Filing for statewide offices is done through the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office, while county elections go through their respective County Clerk’s office. Municipal candidates file through their city or town offices.

“With the seriousness of the weather, candidates should consider all of their options to be sure that they file before the deadline,” said West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner.

Warner advised that mail dropped off at a post office one day may not be postmarked by the USPS on that day. He advised candidates to visit a post office while it is open and a postal worker is present to affix a postmark manually while the candidate is there. Candidate filings postmarked after Saturday, or those with the wrong filing fee, cannot be accepted by law.

Those who have filed for office, according to the Secretary of State’s Office, by 4 p.m. Tuesday include:

• U.S. Senate: Republican candidates Shelley Moore Capito, of Charleston; Alexander Gaaserud of Parkersburg; Janet McNulty of Martinsburg; David Purkey of Fairmont; and Tom Willis of Martinsburg; and Democrat candidates Thornton Cooper of South Charleston; Rachel Fetty Anderson of Morgantown; Rio Phillips of Charleston; and Zachary Shrewbury of Princeton.

• U.S. House of Representatives, District 2: Democrat Steven Wendelin of Lost City; and Republican Riley Moore of Harpers Ferry.

• West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, Division 1: Todd A. Kirby, Beckley; H.L. “Kirk” Kirkpatrick of Beckley; and Gerald Titus of Charleston.

• West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, Division 2: Tom Ewing, of Edmond; and Bill Flanigan of Wheeling.

• Judge of the Intermediate Court of Appeals: Jim Douglas of Charleston; and Dan Greear of South Charleston.

• State Senate District 1: Laura Wakim Chapman of Wheeling; and Joe Eddy of Wheeling, both Republicans.

• House of Delegates District 1: Republican Pat McGeehan of Chester.

• House of Delegates District 2: Republican Mark Zatezalo of Weirton.

• House of Delegates District 3: Democrat Mike Robinson of Wellsburg; and Republican Jimmy Willis of Bethany.

• Brooke County Magistrate District 1: Sarah E. Delong of Wellsburg;

• Brooke County Magistrate District 2: Michelle Heaton of Wellsburg

• Brooke County Commission: Kevin Himmelrick, Republican , of Colliers;

• Brooke County Board of Education: Pete Bolock of Weirton; Kristin Newton of Follansbee; and Ted Pauls of Bethany.

• Hancock County Magistrate Division 2: Matt Harvey of New Cumberland;

• Hancock County Commission: Eron Chek, Republican, of Weirton;

• Conservation District Supervisor: Jim Anderson of New Cumberland.

More information on who has to file, where and for what offices, can be found at GoVoteWV.com.

Candidates seeking information should contact the WVSOS Elections Division at (304) 558-6000.