WESTPORT — It still may be summer, but the fall election season is starting to heat up.

Petitions for residents interested in running for the Representative Town Meeting in the Nov. 7 election will be available as of Tuesday, July 25, at the Town Clerk’s Office in Town Hall, 110 Myrtle Ave.

The 36-seat RTM, the town’s legislative body, has nine districts, each represented by four members. The representatives are elected to serve a two-year term.

To qualify for the ballot, a candidate must be a registered voter and is required to gather signatures from 25 other registered voters in the RTM district where they reside, according to Town Clerk Jeffrey Dunkerton.

Political affiliation is not a factor, however, since Westport’s RTM is officially a non-partisan body.

Completed petitions must be filed with the Town Clerk’s Office by Sept. 12.

Among RTM members’ responsibilities are: final approval of the town’s annual budget; voting on proposed appropriations greater than $20,000; approving town ordinances; serving on two or more committees that review and make recommendations regarding appropriations and ordinances to the full body, and reviewing certain decisions by other town boards and commissions.

For more information or questions, contact Dunkerton at 203-341-1105 or jdunkerton@westportct.gov.