Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
ANC commissioners urge D.C. Council to shift contested ANC special elections to Board of Elections amid complaints about protest process
Summary
At a Feb. 19 oversight hearing, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners and former commissioners said contested ANC special elections now must be run as contested races (not appointment) and asked the Council to amend D.C. Code §1‑309.06(d)(6) so the Board of Elections runs contested ANC special elections. Witnesses described problems with volunteers,
What happened: During the Committee on Executive Administration and Labor’s Feb. 19 hearing, multiple Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners and former commissioners asked the committee to change how special ANC vacancies are filled and to tighten petition/challenge rules for local races.
What witnesses asked: ANC commissioner Joe Bishop Henchman told the committee the law now requires contested special elections when an ANC seat becomes vacant, but ANCs are volunteer bodies without election expertise: "DCBOE already has the staff...equipment...signage...the know how on how to do special elections," Henchman said. He asked the Council to consider an amendment to D.C. Code §1‑309.06(d)(6) to move responsibility for contested ANC special elections from the ANC to the Board of Elections.
Tom Donahue, a newly elected ANC commissioner, recounted a multi‑year residency and…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
