The House of Representatives has voted to give D.C. greater flexibility on the scheduling of special elections, but the measure must still clear the Senate — the chamber where a similar proposal died during the last Congress.
The bill from D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton would allow the District to hold special elections in a window of between 70 and 174 days after officials declare a vacancy. D.C. law currently requires the city to wait 114 days before holding a special election, a mandate Norton says costs taxpayers big bucks because D.C. can’t always schedule a special election on the same day as another planned vote.
The city will spend more than $300,000 for the May 15 election to replace disgraced former Ward 5 Councilman Harry Thomas Jr., even though his seat has been vacant since January and the District will hold a citywide primary on April 3.
“By giving the District a window to hold special elections… the Board of Elections will be able to more quickly fill vacancies to maximize voter turnout by, for example, avoiding holding elections on religious elections, and will more often be able to schedule special elections to coincide with regular elections,” a statement from Norton’s office said.
Although Norton pushed a similar measure through the House during the last Congress, an anonymous senator placed a so-called “hold” on the bill, effectively killing the bill’s chances. The Senate has since restricted the use of such holds, and Norton said she’s already working to push her revitalized bill through the upper chamber.
