WEST WARWICK — An administrative error has nullified the declarations filed with local canvassers by the prospective candidates for the School Committee. The process has been restarted, but those candidates — and anyone else who joins the race — will have to scramble.

The glitch stemmed from the system for filling vacancies on the School Committee, whose five members serve staggered, four-year terms. Three seats will be on the ballot this fall but one of them will carry only a two-year term, and officials neglected to have each candidate stipulate whether he or she was running for a four-year term or a two-year term.

Four Democrats and two Republicans filed School Committee candidacy declarations with the Board of Canvassers by the June 25 deadline.

On Wednesday, the canvassers met to rectify the situation, first offering candidates the opportunity to simply declare for the office term they wanted. However, some balked at that proposal and the board decided to nullify all of the candidacies and start over.

“There was an error made by people involved and it got past all of us,” said Democratic Town Committee Chairman Frank A. Giorgio. “We all have to take a little responsibility for it.”

Candidates were to pick up replacement declaration forms yesterday and have until 4 p.m. Monday to submit them to the canvassers. That will leave them 44 hours to obtain the 50 signatures they need on nomination papers. Those forms must be returned by noon Wednesday; they must be certified by the canvassers and forwarded to the secretary of state’s office the next day.

Efforts to reach canvassers for comment yesterday were unsuccessful.

The tight deadline did not sit well with David M. Cerullo, vice chairman of the Republican Town Committee, who was worried that the canvassers’ decision would affect the GOP’s Town Council candidates as well. The names of Republican candidates for both offices appear on the nominating papers, to allow candidates to share the signatures obtained. Cerullo said he was waiting to hear whether the nullification would apply to all of the party’s signatures.

“I told them I didn’t think that was fair,” Cerullo said. “The candidates did everything they were supposed to do; they haven’t done anything wrong.”

The four Democrats who filed declarations for the school board were Bruce E. Vanasse and James A. Williamson Jr., both incumbents, and Vincent D. Bradley and Town Sergeant John A. Pettinicchio Jr. The two Republicans who declared were Christopher Boucher and Lynn M. Ponte. Cerullo said the party would now consider adding a third candidate to fill out the slate.

Vanasse was appointed to the School Committee in May of last year, after board member Thomas V. Iannitti Jr. resigned — only three months after being reelected — because he was moving to California. Because Vanasse was filling a term with more than two years to run, his seat had to be posted on this year’s ballot for a two-year term.

The state Board of Elections was notified informally of the situation, according to its executive director, Robert Kando, but he said no complaint has been filed.

“If everyone agrees with the method or the ruling of the West Warwick Board, there’s no reason for us to be involved,” Kando said. “We only act when there is an appeal or a clear violation of the law.”

tbuford@projo.com