The Electoral Commission has released the schedule for the Special Election that will fill County Executive and District Attorney, along with a Fall Council Election that puts all seven Council seats on the ballot at once. Residents who want to run for any of the three races need to move fast: registration closes tonight, October 26th, at 6:00 PM CT.
The Schedule
- Registration: closes tonight, October 26th at 6:00 PM CT.
- Campaigning: October 26th at 7:00 PM CT through October 30th at 6:00 PM CT.
- Voting: October 30th at 7:00 PM CT through November 1st at 6:00 PM CT.
Who Can Run
Per the Commission’s regulations, candidates need at least 60 days of residency and eight hours of playtime logged before the election period. They must have no felony conviction on record or felony arrest within the preceding 60 days, and cannot be registered in more than one race at once. District Attorney candidates carry an additional requirement: an active law license with the Board of Legal Examiners.
The regulations also bar sitting government officials from endorsing candidates in their official capacity, and limit campaign activity to designated channels and periods. Campaigning is prohibited inside or near polling locations, as well as by anyone currently in uniform and on duty.
Why This Is Happening
The County Executive and District Attorney races exist because voters recalled both bob_govv and FrancisHUnderwood from office in September. The Council election is a separate, previously scheduled changeover, but it lands as the Third Council wraps up a term marked by two forced vacancies, a recall, and a documented quorum problem, the subject of The Harrison Independent’s recent analysis of the Council’s record.
The Harrison Independent previously reported on a list of likely contenders for the County Executive, DA and Council races; whether those names, or others, actually register before tonight’s deadline will become clear once the Commission’s candidate list goes public. We’ll follow up with confirmed candidates as soon as registration closes.
This is a developing story.