Tom Kennis is no stranger to being a write-in candidate for public office.

And if he wants an opportunity to remain on the Oxford Village Council this year, he’ll have to be one again.

Last week was the filing deadline for the council race in November and, according to township Deputy Clerk Susan McCullough, the affidavit of identity submitted for Kennis was “incomplete” and therefore, invalid.

“There were five or six items that were missing from the affidavit, only two of which were critical,” she explained.

Without a valid affidavit of identity, a candidate cannot be placed on the ballot, according to state law.

McCullough said Kennis, who’s served on council since November 2014, left blanks next to the portions that asked how long he’s lived in the county and how long he’s resided in the state.

“He did have the opportunity to appear at the (township) office to correct that. Only he could change an affidavit once it had been turned in,” she noted.

But Kennis was in Minnesota at the time the filing deadline expired at 4 p.m. July 26.

He admitted he made a mistake by not completing the affidavit.

“That’s all on me,” Kennis said. “I just skipped those (questions). I’ve been in Michigan my whole life. . . . That’s on me. I didn’t think it would be rejected for that . . . It’s my bad.”

According to McCullough, Kennis’ nominating petition, turned in with the affidavit, “had at least 25” valid signatures, the minimum needed to run based on the village charter, so there was no issue there.

This leaves the council race short a candidate.

Three seats are on the November ballot. Two carrying four-year terms and one carrying a two-year term.

Erik Dolan, Rose Bejma and Dave Bailey all filed for the four-year seats. Dolan was appointed to council in April and Bejma, who was a village employee from 1975 until 2005 (16 years of which was spent as clerk), was elected in November 2014. Although Bailey isn’t currently on council, he previously served from 2009-14 and prior to that, from 2001-07.

Kennis was the only person who had filed for the two-year seat, but since his affidavit was rejected, no names will appear on the ballot for that position.

Council will have to appoint a village resident to the seat, unless someone runs as a write-in candidate.

Unlike candidates whose names appear on the ballot, write-in candidates are not required to circulate nominating petitions and collect signatures from registered voters.

All write-in candidates must do is fill out and file a form called a “write-in candidate declaration of intent.”

The deadline to submit this is 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28.

These forms are available at the township office (300 Dunlap Rd.) and can be filed there as well.

When asked if he plans to file and run as a write-in candidate, Kennis replied, “I don’t know.”

“I just haven’t decided yet,” he said.

Kennis explained he loves the village, but he finds it “extremely frustrating” dealing with council politics and the municipality’s “management.”

“For right now, I’ll keep it at that,” he said.

Running as a write-in candidate would be familiar territory for Kennis.

He ran for council as one in the November 2014 election, at which time all five seats appeared on the ballot.

Back then, Kennis garnered 70 votes, the highest amount of the five write-in candidates for council.

Kennis wasn’t elected because he, along with the other four write-ins, had filed for the three seats with four-year terms, which were all filled by candidates listed on the ballot.

However, just like the situation today, no candidate, write-in or otherwise, had filed for one of the two available two-year seats, so, as a result, no was elected and it was vacant.

Exactly one week after the election, council voted to appoint Kennis to the seat because he was the top vote-getter among the write-in candidates.