The Jackson City Council will meet Monday to hold a special election for the currently vacant Second District council seat.
The announcement Friday afternoon is the first step in the process of holding a special election for the vacant seat. The council will then set the date of the special election within 30 to 45 days of the Aug. 19 meeting.
Since the council meeting is on Monday, the special election could take place between September 18 and October 3.
Other steps that must be taken before the special election include:
- The Town Clerk shall publish the date of the special election in a newspaper once a week for three weeks prior to the special election date. A further notice shall also be published in the Jackson Town Hall.
- Candidates must qualify by petitioning at least 20 days before the election. The petition must be signed by 50 eligible voters in the district. Qualification papers can be picked up at the City Clerk’s office once the election date is set.
- The candidate must have resided in District 2 for the two years immediately preceding Election Day.
- There is no qualification fee for candidates in special elections.
- If only one person qualifies for the seat, he or she shall be appointed as the council member for the second district.
- If no one qualifies, the mayor will fill the vacant seat in the second district.
Lee’s conviction for bribery: What you should know about the bribery case that brought down former city councilor Angelique Lee
The District 2 seat is vacant after former Councilwoman Angelique Lee resigned on Wednesday. Hours later, Lee pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit bribery. It was her first full term as a councilwoman.
Coincidentally, the last time a special election for a vacant City Council seat was held was when former District 2 Councilman Melvin Priester announced his retirement in 2020. Lee was elected to succeed Priester later that year and was re-elected in 2021.
