WESTPORT — Registered voters interested in serving as a justice of the peace are being recruited by town officials, but there’s a catch.

Candidates who want to be considered for appointment must be either “unaffiliated or a minor party member voter since May 1of this year,” Town Clerk Jeffrey Dunkerton said in a statement.

Interested individuals who meet that criteria can request an application before Nov. 1 from the Town Clerk’s Office. For an application, email Lori Gandini at LGandini@westportct.gov.

Justices of the peace have limited authority that includes officiating at marriages and taking oaths and depositions.

Members of the Democratic and Republican parties must be appointed justices of the peace by their respective parties, and cannot at this time switch to unaffiliated status to apply for appointment, Dunkerton said. Both parties have designated their justice of the peace appointees for this year, and they will take office this Jan. 6 for four-year terms expiring Jan. 2, 2029.

State law permits as many justices of the peace to be appointed from lists of unaffiliated and minor party voters as are allowed each of the two major political parties.

If there are no more than 20 applicants from the ranks of unaffiliated or minor party voters, the town clerk is empowered to appoint all of them to be justices of the peace, according to Dunkerton.

If there are more than 20 applicants, the town clerk is required to select 20 of them to fill the available slots by lottery no later than Nov. 20.