Norton Bill to Give District Flexibility on Scheduling Special Elections Passes in Committee

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton's (D-DC) bill to give the District of Columbia flexibility in scheduling special elections passed by a voice vote today in the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Norton thanked Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) for his help in moving the bill through committee, and hopes for quick passage in the full House.

"This bill could have been named for the $318,000 the Senate will cost the District because of the anonymous hold that kept this bill from being passed last Congress," Norton said. "The District could have held the Ward 5 special election earlier if this bill had passed when I introduced it and the House passed it."

Current law requires the city to wait 114 days before holding a special election to fill a vacancy, but Norton, at the request of the Mayor and D.C. Council, introduced the District of Columbia Special Election Reform Act to provide the D.C. Board of Elections a window between 70 and 174 days.

The law would apply to the Mayor and D.C. Council, as well as to the Attorney General, when that office becomes an elected position in 2014. By giving the District a window to hold special elections for these positions, the Board of Elections will be able to more quickly schedule elections to fill vacancies, avoid scheduling elections on religious holidays, and more often be able to schedule special elections to coincide with other election dates.

Published February 7, 2012