Board Elections

Whatcom CD Board of Supervisor Election Information

Each Conservation District is governed by a board of five supervisors who are all local residents. Click HERE to meet our current board members.

2027 Board of Supervisor Election

Whatcom Conservation District will hold a poll-site and mail-in ballot election for one seat on the District Board. Poll-site voting will be held on Tuesday, March 16, 2027 at the District’s office at 6975 Hannegan Road, Lynden. The poll-site will open at 9:00 am and close at 6:00 pm. Mail-in ballots are available by request only. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is 11:59 pm on February 7, 2027. Mailed ballots must be postmarked by March 16, 2027 or hand-delivered to the District office no later than 6 pm March 16, 2027.

Whatcom County registered voters are eligible to vote in the District election.

If you have questions regarding the District election or serving on the Board of Supervisors, contact Dawn Bekenyi at dlb@whatcomcd.org or 360-526-2381 x 101.

Official updates on the District election are posted on this election webpage, only.

2027 Election Key Dates & Milestones

By January 8, 2027: Apply to be a Candidate

Do you want to become a District Supervisor?

The Whatcom Conservation District (WCD) is receiving applications to serve on the Whatcom CD Board of Supervisors. Click HERE and see the bottom of this page to learn more about Board Member responsibilities.

The deadline to file as a candidate is January 8, 2027 at 4:00 p.m.
Candidates for this seat must be a registered voter residing in Whatcom County.
An interested individual must be a landowner or an operator of a farm.

To download the Candidate Application form click HERE

Applications can be dropped off or mailed to the Whatcom CD office (6975 Hannegan Rd, Lynden, WA 98264).

Applications can also be emailed to dlb@whatcomcd.org.

Click HERE for more information on becoming a candidate and conservation district elections.

January 13, 2027: Candidates Announced

2027 Candidates: bios linked below by Jan 13th

Coming soon

February 7, 2027: Deadline to Request Mail-in Ballot

Mail-in ballots are only available upon request. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is February 7, 2027 by 11:59 p.m.

Voters can request ballots by using the Whatcom Conservation District’s ballot request form here (coming soon) or by phone (360) 526-2381.

For your privacy and to ensure your information is current, a new request for a mail-in ballot must be completed every election year.

Your email addresses will be NOT be collected when you complete a ballot request. NOTE: You must ensure that all the information placed in the ballot request form is accurate before you hit the submit button or you may not receive a ballot.

Late February 2027: Mail-in Ballots sent

Ballots will be mailed to you late February, 2027.

If you have not received a ballot by March 4, 2027, please contact the WCD office at (360) 526-2381 x 101 for a replacement. Requests for replacements cannot be honored after March 8.

March 16, 2027: Election Day!

Poll-site voting will be held on Tuesday, March 16, 2027 at the District’s office at 6975 Hannegan Road, Lynden. The poll-site will be open at 9:00 am and close at 6:00 pm.

If you requested a mail-in ballot, you have two options to return your completed ballot:

Mail it in. To be counted all mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before March 16, 2027. NOTE: not all mail is postmarked the day it is deposited with the post office due to changes to its mail-handling process.
Drop it off. To be counted, all hand-delivered ballots must be dropped in the Whatcom Conservation District drop box at our office at 6975 Hannegan Rd, Lynden beside the front door on or before March 16, 2027 by 6:00 p.m.

NOTE: You will not be able to drop off your Supervisor Election ballot at any County election drop boxes.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Why do I have to request a mail-in ballot again if I did so in previous elections?
A: To keep your information up-to-date and protect your privacy, a new mail-in ballot request is required each election year.

Q: What should I expect after submitting this form?
A: You will receive by mail:

A Candidate Information Sheet (if provided by all candidates)
An Official Ballot
A Ballot Secrecy Envelope
A Return Envelope

After filling out your ballot, you can return it in one of two ways:

Mail it – To count, ballots must be postmarked on or before March 16, 2027. Be aware that postmarks may not match the date of deposit due to mail processing changes.
Drop it off – Hand-delivered ballots must be placed in the Blue Whatcom Conservation District drop box by the office entrance at 6975 Hannegan Rd, Lynden, by 6:00 p.m. on March 16, 2027.

Note: You cannot drop off your ballot at any County election drop boxes.

Q: Why don’t you ask for phone numbers or email addresses?
A: To protect your privacy. As a public entity, the District avoids collecting this information as it may be subject to Public Records Requests.

Q: Why isn’t this election on the regular county ballot?
A: Conservation district elections are governed by Chapter 89.09 RCW, rather than Title 29A RCW. They follow procedures set by the Washington State Conservation Commission in compliance with WAC 135-110.

If you have any questions regarding elections or serving on the Board, contact Dawn Bekenyi at wcd@whatcomcd.org or 360-526-2381 x 101.

All official updates will be posted only on this election webpage.

WhatIsSup

What is a Whatcom Conservation District Supervisor?

Each Conservation District is governed by a board of five supervisors who are all local residents. Click here to meet our current board members.

Supervisor Role & Responsibilities

Identify local natural resource conservation needs
Develop and evaluate Annual and Long-range plans.
Educate and inform landowners, farm operators, the general public, and local, state and federal legislators on conservation issues and programs.
Administer the District by delegating tasks through a structure of board officers and committees.
Budget district funds and report on activities to the public.
Set policy for District Executive Director to implement.
CD Supervisors are public officials who serve without compensation.

Time Required

A Supervisor’s term of office is three years. Supervisors are expected to attend 12 regularly scheduled board meetings per year, committee meetings, and other special meetings, for an average of 20 days/year.

Benefits

Serving your community by guiding programs to protect and enhance its natural resource priorities for present and future generations
Satisfaction in seeing conservation practices applied locally
Interaction with others who are passionate about natural resource conservation
Ability to provide input to local, State, and Federal conservation programs
Learning opportunities through the Washington Conservation Commission and the Washington Association of District Employees.