WARD 5 CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL ELECTION - JANUARY 30, 2007

Certified Election Results

Ward 5 Special Election Sample Ballot and Instructions for Voting

CANDIDATES' PHOTOS AND STATEMENTS

NOTICE OF WARD 5 CITY COUNCIL VACANCY

Ward 5 City Councilmember Marc Elrich has been elected to serve on the Montgomery County Council, where he will be sworn in on December 4, 2006. He has announced his resignation from the City Council effective December 3, 2006. Pursuant to Section 308 of the City Charter, if a vacancy on the City Council occurs more than 240 days before the next regularly scheduled City election, a special election shall be held to fill the vacancy.

NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION

The Ward 5 special election will be held on Tuesday, January 30, 2006. The single polling place will be located at Columbia Union College, Wilkinson Hall, 7600 Flower Avenue, Takoma Park, Maryland. Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Council Term
The term of office for the person elected will be from February 12, 2007 to November 19, 2007. Subsequent term(s) will follow the normal two-year Council term schedule, with elections held in November of odd-numbered years.

Qualifications of Candidates
Candidates for the Ward 5 City Council seat shall have resided in Ward 5 for at least six months immediately preceding the election (at least since July 30, 2006). Candidates shall be registered voters of the City. Councilmembers shall maintain their principal residence in the City and in their ward during their term of office. Councilmembers are prohibited from holding other publicly elected offices during their term of office and are prohibited from serving on any City board, commission, or other body that has authority to adjudicate or otherwise resolve disputes.

Petitions for Candidacy
In order for a candidate’s name to be placed on the special election ballot, he or she must submit a petition at least 20 days prior to the election, on a form provided by the City Clerk, and signed by at least ten eligible voters in Ward 5. There is no nominating caucus for the special election. Petitions must be received by the City Clerk by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 10.

Absentee Ballots
Voters who may be absent from the City on election day or cannot personally vote at the polls on election day because of illness or physical disability may apply to vote by absentee ballot. Applications for absentee ballots must be received by the City Clerk by 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 23. Emergency absentee balloting begins January 24 for voters required to be absent on the day of election for any reason of which the person becomes aware after the time for applying for an absentee ballot.

Instant Runoff Voting
Pursuant to Charter Amendment Resolution 2006-1, an instant runoff voting system shall be used, allowing voters to rank candidates in order of choice. In an instant runoff system, voters rank candidates (1, 2, 3 and so on). If no candidate receives a majority of the first choices, the candidate with the fewest first choices is eliminated and those voters’ second choice votes are redistributed to other candidates. This continues until one candidate receives a majority of votes and is elected.

Voter Registration
Only voters registered at an address in Ward 5 may vote in the special election. The voter registration cut-off date for the election will be Tuesday, January 2, 2007. All new registrations and changes of address must have been received by the Montgomery County Board of Elections by 5:00 p.m. on January 2 (or be postmarked on or before Saturday, December 30, 2006). Non-U.S. citizen voters must be registered with the City Clerk’s Office by 5:00 p.m. on January 2, 2007. There will be no exceptions. Voter registration forms are available at the Takoma Park Community Center and at the Takoma Park Library.

If you have questions, please contact the City Clerk’s Office: 301-891-7267 or jessiec@takomagov.org

A sample ballot will be mailed to all Ward 5 registered voters prior to the Special Election.

Forms and information will be added to this page in the next few weeks. Watch for updated information.

(Page updated 02/01/2007 )