The nomination period is officially underway for candidates to appear on the ballot for two Santa Maria City Council seats and face off against three candidates who already have announced their bids for the city’s two southern districts.

Seats in City Council districts 3 and 4 are on the ballot for the Nov. 8 election, and the city is currently accepting paperwork from potential candidates.

In 2018, Santa Maria divided its four council seats into district seats, instead of at-large bids. Each council member must live in the district they represent and voters can only vote for the council member from their district. While the mayor’s seat remains at large, the districts are divided using Broadway and Main Street, slicing the city into four sections.