CATHEDRAL CITY – Cathedral City District 1 voters likely won’t have to worry about the August heat when they cast their ballots in the upcoming special election.

The City Council is expected to adopt a Resolution calling for a Special Mail Ballot Election to be held on August 27, 2019 to elect one Councilmember for District 1. The Special Election is designed to fill the vacancy created when Mayor Gregory S. Pettis died in January.

As of Monday morning, City Clerk Tracey R. Martinez was waiting for the County Registrar of Voters to provide an updated estimate for a District 1-only special election.

The City Council voted 3-1 in February to hold a special election. Councilmember Ernesto Gutierrez dissented.

The Nomination Period for the August election will begin on May 6, 2019 and will close on May 30, 2019, according to Martinez.

At the time the City Council considered appointing someone to fill the vacancy, 14 residents applied. In the pool of 14 applicants, six were from District 1. Many, if not all, are expected to run for the seat in the August election. They are: Jamie Lynn Birch; Elmer Diaz; Shelley Kaplan, former City Councilmember; Rita Lamb; Rebecca Sameroff Robinson; and Jonathan Patrick Wynne.

Potential candidates can only reside in District 1, must be 18 years of age and registered to vote.

Candidate Statements are optional.

Ballots will be mailed out to all registered voters in District 1 beginning July 29, 2019. There will be no polling places for voting, this will be an all-mail ballot election.

There will be one mail ballot drop-off box at City Hall, 68-700 Avenida Lalo Guerrero,  and one at the Registrar of Voters Office, 2724 Gateway Drive in  Riverside.

All ballots must be postmarked by August 27, 2019 to be counted. The Registrar of Voters will have 30 days to certify the results.

The person elected in August will serve until November 2020 when the seat is up for election.

 

Image Sources

  • Special Election Cathedral City: WYMT.com