Jackson, Miss., residents will soon go to the polls to replace a city councilwoman who left office following a criminal indictment earlier this month. A special election for the Ward 2 seat is set for Oct. 1.
The Jackson City Council held a special meeting at City Hall on Aug. 19 to schedule the election to fill the seat that has been vacant since former Ward 2 City Councilwoman Angelique Lee resigned abruptly and pleaded guilty to a federal bribery charge on Aug. 14.
“My intent today is to reassure the people of the City of Jackson that the urgent legislative affairs of the City will continue uninterrupted,” Council President Virgi Lindsay said during a press conference on the morning of Lee’s resignation.
Residents interested in running for the Ward 2 city council seat can pick up the registration packet from the Municipal Clerk’s office at City Hall. Candidates have until 5 p.m. on Sept. 11 to return the packet, City of Jackson Municipal Clerk Angela Harris told the Council.
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To qualify, a candidate must have been a resident of Ward 2 for at least two years and must submit a petition with at least 50 signatures of verifiable registered voters to the municipal clerk’s office, Harris said.
The election commission will verify that the signatures are those of registered voters.
“The qualifying period ends 20 days before the special election,” Harris said. “The sooner they can get their petitions in—their intent to qualify—so that I can get it to the election commission to start vetting those signatures, it’ll make the process go smoother.”
If no candidate gets over 50% of the vote, the City will hold a runoff election on Oct. 22.
Angelique Lee speaks at a Mississippi Poor People’s Campaign rally at the state Capitol in Jackson, Miss., Monday, June 18, 2018, calling out for lawmakers and statewide elected officials to address education more fully. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) ” data-image-caption=”
Former Jackson City Councilwoman Angelique Lee pleaded guilty to a federal
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