The Montgomery County Council Thursday approved a special election to fill the seat of Councilman Don Praisner ,whose last wish before he died last month was that the county not spend the estimated $1.3 million for an election to replace him.
But council members showed little appetite to honor that wish despite a projected $450 million budget deficit. And members were equally dismissive of attempts to trim the costs of the election, saying it wasn’t the place to look for savings.
“To me it doesn’t matter what it costs, this is the cost of democracy,” said Councilwoman Valerie Ervin.
The county’s District 4 seat, an area that includes Calverton, Wheaton and parts of Silver Spring, opened after Praisner’s death from colon cancer Jan. 31. Praisner, who was elected last year in a special election after the death of his wife, who succumbed to a heart ailment, wrote in a letter before his death that he wanted his replacement to be appointed by the council.
He pointed out that voter turnout was usually low for such elections. During the 2008 special election, less than 9 percent of registered voters participated.
“The cost of such an election could exceed $1.3 million at a time when our residents are struggling and county government is being forced to cut back on essential programs,” Praisner wrote.
Council President Phil Andrews floated a compromise Monday, calling for a special election but with half of the usual 46 polling places open in District 4. Andrews said the measure could save the county upward of $200,000, with much of the savings coming from not having to hire as many election judges to monitor the polls. But council members quickly rejected the idea at Tuesday’s council meeting, saying that forcing voters to cast their ballots outside their usual polling places was an act of voter disenfranchisement.
“We may need to pay more dollars to ensure maximum participation,” said council Vice President Roger Berliner.
Montgomery County Board of Elections spokeswoman Marjorie Roher said the state had not yet billed the county for the 2008 special election, and its final price tag could reach $1.4 million. She said this year’s special election would likely have comparable costs.
