Latest news with #specialelection
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
CA elections officials head to battle stations, anticipating redistricting vote
Elections officials across California are preparing a speed run toward a possible special election on November 4, as the state considers a response to Texas' efforts to redraw congressional maps to benefit Republicans. The election would be about whether or not to adopt new congressional maps that benefit Democrats. Gov. Gavin Newsom says he would only ask the Legislature to call the election if Texas moves ahead with its plan. That plan is currently in limbo, as Texas Democratic lawmakers remain out of state to deny Republicans quorum in their legislature. Still, with so much needing to happen if the election is authorized, officials are organizing now, should the dominoes begin to fall. The Secretary of State's office, which oversees the election process, has given the Legislature a deadline of August 22 to decide whether or not it's happening. 'Any less than two and a half months, you're not gonna have time to hire people and get them trained and get everything running properly in order to do the election,' said Secretary of State spokesperson Jim Patrick. The August 22 deadline means lawmakers, who return from summer recess on August 18, will have just a few days to publicly discuss possible maps and approve a special election. Some election statutes will have to be suspended If that election is called, officials will launch into action, with only 80 days until November 4th. According to Patrick, that means the state will have blown past two existing requirements: one which mandates the governor give the public 148 days notice before a statewide election and another that commands the Legislature to approve placing something on the ballot not less than 131 days before an election. He said they'll likely be unable to meet a requirement to show counties a voter guide 48 days before an election. Patrick said these statutes will need to be suspended by the Legislature. To prepare officials, the Secretary of State's office held a planning meeting Monday with over 250 people calling in. 'These folks are now whipping together contracts. They're trying to get workers,' Patrick said. He said one county is scrambling for envelopes for vote-by-mail ballots. 'It's exciting on the one hand,' Patrick said, although, 'cramming an entire year's worth of work into two and a half months is a daunting prospect.' Placer County Registrar of Voters Ryan Ronco was on the call. He said 'a lot of items are up in the air,' but officials were told it was 'highly likely' the election would take place. On Friday, his team reached out to its usual voting centers, drop-box locations, and volunteers. Ronco said the county will have to identify 500 to 600 people to be volunteers for the 11 days voting centers will be open. 'It's possible,' he said. 'Elections officials are used to pulling miracles out of thin air.'
Yahoo
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fort Pierce officially sets special election to replace arrested Commissioner James Taylor
FORT PIERCE — City commissioners approved final plans for a special election to fill the seat vacated by former Commissioner James Taylor, who resigned after being arrested July 24 and charged with 24 felonies related to an alleged explicit internet relationship with a teenage girl. Election details Election day will be Nov. 4, with a runoff set for Jan. 13, if one is necessary. That runoff date is one week earlier than it was in initial plans presented to commissioners following Taylor's arrest. The election will only be open to voters from the city's District 2, which Taylor previously represented. In Fort Pierce, only the mayor is elected by voters from both districts. Candidate qualifying begins at noon, Aug. 18 and ends at noon, Aug. 22. Candidates must have lived in the district for at least two years. Commissioners agreed to hold the election as normal, with all precincts in District 2 open on election day and early voting at the St. Lucie County Supervisor of Elections office, 4132 Okeechobee Road. While that location is not in District 2, City Clerk Linda Cox said it is directly across the street from part of District 2. Hosting it there would be easier and less costly than finding a location within District 2 that is willing to host a precinct for eight days, Cox said. Early voting is to run from Oct. 25 to Nov. 1. It is yet to be determined whether the runoff, if it becomes necessary, will have an early voting period, Cox said. The winning candidate would serve the remaining three years left by Taylor, joining Commissioner Michael Broderick in representing District 2. The next election for a full four-year term would be held in 2028. Each of the city's two districts is represented by two commissioners. District 2 includes areas within city limits that are east of U.S. Highway 1, along with areas that are south of Georgia Avenue and east of 13th Street, areas that are south of Okeechobee Road and west of 41st Street and all areas south of Virginia Avenue. Potential candidates At least one candidate has already announced intentions to run. Donna Benton — real estate broker, former mayoral candidate and wife of former City Commissioner and Mayor Bob Benton — plans to run, she told TCPalm following a July 28 special City Commission meeting where the special election was discussed. Benton last ran for office in 2020, challenging incumbent Mayor Linda Hudson. Hudson defeated her with nearly 53% of the vote. Another possible candidate is John Heaning, a retired Navy veteran and Realtor who ran unsuccessfully for the same District 2 seat in November. He told TCPalm after the July 28 meeting that he remains undecided about seeking the seat. Jeremiah Johnson, the former city commissioner who held the seat before Taylor, said he would not be running in this race. Johnson was first elected in 2016 and opted not to seek reelection in 2024. Until the seat is filled, the City Commission will have just four members. Votes that split 2-2 will fail, which may become critical as the city faces key decisions on the budget, the performance of City Manager Richard Chess and the hiring of a new police chief. More: Candidates considering runs, commissioners facing split votes after Taylor resignation More: Fort Pierce City Commission seat vacated by James Taylor may sit empty until 2026 Wicker Perlis is TCPalm's Watchdog Reporter for St. Lucie County. You can reach him at This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: James Taylor replacement special election set in Fort Pierce, Florida
Yahoo
04-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
2 candidates are running for Madison County auditor. Who they are:
Madison County voters are set to head to the polls Aug. 26 to elect their next county auditor. The special election comes in the wake of former Auditor Teri Kaczinski's resignation on July 4, following community criticism over unauthorized expenditures and contentious hiring practices involving her campaign manager. After Kaczinski's resignation, the Madison County Board of Supervisors appointed Matthew Schwarz as interim auditor without a public vote, igniting further community backlash and prompting a successful citizen-led petition to force a special election. More: Madison County sees tumultuous 6 months under auditor, replacement without election Two candidates emerged by the Aug. 1 filing deadline: Schwarz and Michele Brant, a former county board clerk. Matthew Schwarz Schwarz was sworn in as auditor July 7. A forensic consultant and police officer for 12 years in Muscatine and Davenport, he was appointed in a 2-1 vote and promised stability and procedural transparency following Kaczinski's turbulent tenure. In his first two weeks on the job, Schwarz identified numerous issues in county processes. At a July 22 board meeting, he said the county's credit card process is "completely broken." "Every month, we have expenditures that are never reconciled, because no one will admit that they purchase them," he said. Schwarz proposed issuing department-specific credit cards to improve tracking and accountability. He also highlighted payroll inefficiencies and recommended transitioning to a unified, cloud-based payroll solution. 'Departments submit timesheets in different formats … that alone is costing us about $8,500 a year in staff time and another $2,500 a month for a part-time clerk," Schwarz said. Schwarz also criticized the employee handbook's overtime and comp-time policies, noting one employee alone accrued "400+ hours while peers have virtually none." He suggested clearer pre-approval processes and flexible scheduling. Schwarz's short tenure has also seen some controversy. County Attorney Steve Swanson ordered Schwarz to vacate his workspace shortly after his appointment due to flawed vacancy notices issued from his office and county leaders — one published prematurely and another issued without proper authorization. This dispute came to a head at the July 22 meeting, where, after extensive debate, the board reaffirmed Schwarz's appointment and restored his access and equipment. Schwarz's phone and work computer also were seized as part of a search warrant executed on July 18. His phone has since been returned but the county-owned laptop is still in custody. More: Judge orders return of officials' seized devices in Madison County voter intimidation case Madison County Sheriff's Deputy Donald Kinney obtained and executed a warrant on Schwarz's home 'regarding an investigation into Election Misconduct in Madison County,' according to court documents. The warrant application rested largely on an informant in the Auditor's Office who claimed that 'both Stancil and Schwarz are desperately trying to alter appointment dates and deadlines for the petition to delay the election,' according to the motion, with the informant also attaching two pages of screenshots supporting the claims. Schwarz could not be reached for comment. Michele Brant Brant said she is running as an independent on a pledge to depoliticize the Auditor's Office, strengthen transparency and enforce Iowa Code. 'I believe that Madison County voters have had enough polarization from local politics,' she said in her campaign announcement, adding that she will 'serve all Madison County residents and protect our county from missteps.' Brant has told the Des Moines Register her first priorities include securing timely bill payments and opening up every process so that 'any citizen can follow the money without roadblocks.' She praised the successful petition drive for a special election as 'inspiring and empowering." Brant holds a bachelor's in accounting from the University of Iowa and an MBA from Drake University. She brings more than 20 years of budgeting, operations and HR management to the race. Her most recent county post was a part-time board of supervisors clerk. She resigned after Kaczinski posted a similiar job with better pay. Brant said she was not considered for the new role. She has condemned the board's decision to appoint Schwarz without a public vote and had preemptively thrown her hat in the ring immediately after Kaczinski's resignation, anticipating the special election. 'There's a faction in Madison County that is very upset about it,' she previously said of Schwarz's appointment. 'I absolutely was, and am, the best candidate from an experience and education perspective.' Nick El Hajj is a reporter at the Register. He can be reached at nelhajj@ Follow him on X at @nick_el_hajj. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Who is running for Madison County auditor in special election 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ocean City, MD voters reject new short-term rental ordinance during special election
It was a tight race in Ocean City, Maryland's special election on short-term rental restrictions, with voters rejecting the proposed ordinance to limit the rentals in the R1 Single Family Development and Mobile Home Residential Districts. A total of 1,634 votes were placed during the July 22 special election. Altogether, 800 voted in favor of the new rules and 834 against. With there being 7,116 registered voters in Ocean City, the official turnout was 22.96%. The proposed ordiance, now scrapped, would have required a minimum stay of five nights for short-term rentals in the designated residential areas starting this year. The restrictions were expected to increase beginning on Jan. 1, 2027. Last fall, seven town council candidates went head-to-head at a public forum wherein short-term rentals was one of the hot topics discussed on stage. Now, the current Ocean City Town Council is back to the drawing board to address short-term rental concerns within the popular resort town. THE GHOST MUSEUM: Spooky specters & ghoulish things: A look at Berlin, MD's new attraction, The Ghost Museum LACK OF LIFEGUARDS: Trump faces backlash for lack of lifeguards at MD's Assateague Island National Seashore Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@ This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Ocean City, MD, residents vote down new short-term rental ordinance Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What to know about Tennessee's special congressional election: candidates, election dates
Middle Tennesseans living in the state's 7th Congressional District can soon expect a special election for the seat vacated by Republican Mark Green, who resigned July 20. Although it has not been officially announced yet, Gov. Bill Lee's office said in a July 10 statement that party primaries are anticipated to be held on Oct. 7, while the general election is expected to occur on Dec. 2. According to voter registration, be it online, by mail, or in person, will close 30 days prior to election day in Tennessee. Voters in the Volunteer State seeking to vote in the primaries can anticipate registration deadlines on Sept. 7. For the general election, Nov. 2 will likely be the deadline. The district stretches as far north as Clarksville and as far south as the Tennessee-Alabama border, fully encompassing Stewart, Montgomery, Robertson, Houston, Dickson, Cheatham, Hickman, Humphreys, Decatur, Perry and Wayne counties while also covering parts of Davidson, Williamson and Benton counties. In 2024, Green won the seat comfortably over Democratic nominee and former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, cruising to victory by a 21 point margin and earning 69,000 more votes than his opponent. Less than a year later, Tennessee's 7th Congressional District could shape out to be more competitive. Historically, Democrats tend to outperform Republicans in off-year elections. Furthermore, visits to Music City by prominent Democratic party officials have been more frequent in recent months, indicating the party could be paying more attention to the region. In April, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) drew a crowd of more than 1,500 people in North Nashville, while more recently Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) hosted a town hall in Antioch on July 12 and California Gov. Gavin Newsom spoke at an East Nashtivists community meeting on July 9. Still, the district leans strongly toward the Republican party. According to the 2025 Cook Partisan Voting Index, it scores as R+10, meaning that voters in the area during the 2024 election voted 10 percentage points more for Republicans than the national average. As of July 22, nine candidates had registered as candidates in the race. Republicans running in Tennessee's 7th Congressional District to replace Mark Green Jody Barrett (R-Dickson): Representing District 69 in the state House, Barrett describes himself as 'the most conservative politician in Tennessee.' He cites his perfect score on the John Birch Society's Freedom Index as proof of his right-wing bonafides. Jason Knight (R-Clarksville): Montgomery County Commissioner Knight is an established name in the county along the Tennessee-Kentucky border. He is a U.S. Army reservist holding the rank of major and has previously served on the Clarksville City Council. Stewart Parks (R-Nashville): Parks pleaded guilty in 2022 to disorderly conduct in a restricted building or grounds for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol. He was subsequently pardoned by President Donald Trump when he started his second term earlier this year. Lee Reeves (R-Franklin): Reeves represents District 65 in the Tennessee House of Representatives and has garnered significant support in Williamson County. He has been endorsed by the mayors of all seven cities in the county, and according to a post to his campaign's X account, has raised more than $100,000 so far. Jon Thorp (R-Springfield): Thorp like some of his fellow candidates is a U.S. Army veteran and has also been a pilot for the Metro Nashville Police Department. In his announcement that he is running for Congress posted to LinkedIn, Thorp said he hasn't voted in 24 years. Matt Van Epps (R-Nashville): Epps formerly served as the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services and is a U.S. Army veteran. Given he has been endorsed by both Gov. Bill Lee and Green, Van Epps may be the frontrunner. Democrats running in Tennessee's 7th Congressional District to replace Mark Green Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville): Behn represents District 51 in the state House. Growing up in East Tennessee, she made a name for herself with her surprise election win in 2023 as well as for her protests in the State Capitol following the Covenant School shooting. Vincent Dixie (D-Nashville): Dixie represents District 54 in the state House and has been endorsed by members of the Metro Nashville Council as well as state Rep. Justin J. Pearson, a member of the 'Tennessee Three.' From 2020 through 2022, Dixie was the chair of the House Democratic Caucus. Bo Mitchell (D-Nashville): Born and raised in Dixon County, Mitchell has long been a player in the Volunteer State's Democratic party. He represents District 50 in the Tennessee House of Representatives and has previously served on the Metro Nashville Council. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What to know about Tennessee special election to replace Mark Green Solve the daily Crossword
