With the general election scheduled for Nov. 8 this year, political hopefuls have been weighing runs for office. On Wednesday, the extended nomination period closed and no additional persons can file to be official candidates in local races. (Write-in candidates have until Oct. 25 to file for inclusion.)

For a few candidates, the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters is still determining whether the individual qualifies; certification should be completed by the evening of Aug. 19, according to a spokesperson for the Registrar.

The Palo Alto Weekly plans to host election forums with candidates in several races this fall and also will provide coverage of the candidates and their positions leading up to the election. This year, mail-in ballots should be arriving the week of Oct. 10.

Here's a list of those who will be trying to earn voters' approval in Palo Alto and East Palo Alto in November.

Palo Alto City Council - 3 seats open

• Alex Comsa, Realtor

• Brian Hamachek, entrepreneur/software engineer

• Lisa Forssell, creative technology professional

• Ed Lauing, executive recruiter

• Julie Lythcott-Haims, author/educator

• Doria Summa, community volunteer

• Vicki Veenker, mediator/patent attorney

Palo Alto Board of Education - 2 seats open

• Ingrid Campos, businesswoman/mother

• Nicole Chiu-Wang, parent/operations strategist

• Shounak Dharap, incumbent/attorney

• Shana Segal, teacher/school consultant

East Palo Alto City Council - 2 seats

• Ruben Abrica, incumbent/community college instructor

• Jeffrey L. Austin, coach

• Martha Barragan, teacher

• Mark Dinan, public works commissioner

• Webster Lincoln, scientist

• Q Smith, planning commissioner

Ravenswood City School District - 3 seats

• Mele Kasavu Latu, incumbent

• Manuel R. López, aerospace engineer

• Laura Nunez, educator

• Tamara Sobomehin, incumbent

Menlo Park Fire Protection District - 3 seats open

• Chuck Bernstein, incumbent

•Gary L. Bloom, community volunteer

• Robert Jones, incumbent

• Dionis Papavramidis, software engineer

East Palo Alto Sanitary District - 2 seats

• Ofelia Bello, nonprofit executive director

• Dennis Scherzer, incumbent

• Vanessa Alexandra Smith, nonprofit program manager

• Joan Sykes-Miessi, incumbent

Santa Clara County sheriff

• Kevin Jensen, retired captain, Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office

• Robert Jonsen, retired chief of Palo Alto Police Department

Foothill-De Anza College District - District 2

• Patrick Ahrens, governing board member, FHDA

Foothill-De Anza College District - District 4

• Pearl Cheng, governing board member, FHDA

Santa Clara Valley Water - District 7

• Rebecca Eisenberg, attorney/sustainable investor

• Gary Kremen, incumbent

Midpeninsula Open Space District - District 2

• Frank Hattler (included in unofficial candidates' roster but not yet certified as an official candidate by the Registrar of Voters)

• Yoriko Kishimoto, incumbent

Midpeninsula Open Space District - District 5

• Karen Holman, incumbent

State Assembly - District 21

• Diane Papan - San Mateo deputy mayor

State Assembly - District 23

• Marc Berman, incumbent

• Tim Dec, businessman/environmental advocate

U.S. Congress - 16th District

• Anna Eshoo, incumbent

• Rishi Kumar, council member/high-tech executive

U.S. Congress - 15th District

• David Canepa, San Mateo County supervisor

• Kevin Mullin, California state assembly member

In addition, Palo Alto is mounting a measure to institute a business tax and a utility transfer tax; East Palo Alto is proposing an increase in its business tax on residential rental property.

Read more: Civic groups host candidate forums in preparation for Election Day