Elections to Fill County Commissioner Vacancies

Currently, a vacancy in the office of a county commissioner (vacancy) is filled by a vacancy committee selected by the county central committee. The bill eliminates the vacancy committee process for vacancies and requires that vacancies be filled by a vacancy election.

An individual elected in a vacancy election serves for the remainder of the vacating county commissioner's original term. If the vacancy occurs within 180 days of a regularly scheduled primary, coordinated, or general election for which the ballots have not yet been certified, the vacancy election is held as part of the primary, coordinated, or general election. If the vacancy occurs more than 180 days before a regularly scheduled election or the ballots for the regularly scheduled election have already been certified, the vacancy election occurs on a date set by the designated election official, which must not be less than 30 days or more than 60 days after the vacancy occurs. A legislative vacancy election is administered according to the state election code, as applicable.

An individual who desires to be a candidate at a vacancy election shall submit to the secretary of state a notarized candidate's statement of intent together with a nonrefundable filing fee of $500. A candidate must meet the current statutory and constitutional requirements for serving as a county commissioner and be registered with the vacating county commissioner's political party, if any, by January 1 of the calendar year in which the vacancy election occurs. Only registered electors who reside within the district served by the vacating county commissioner and who are registered with the same political party as the vacating county commissioner or who are unaffiliated are eligible to vote in a vacancy election.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)