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Paris council unanimously postpones District 2 general election from May to Nov. 3, 2020
Summary
Citing public-health concerns and guidance from Governor Abbott, the Paris City Council voted unanimously to move the District 2 election scheduled May 2 to Nov. 3, 2020; councilmembers cited poll-worker availability and turnout concerns.
The Paris City Council voted unanimously March 26 to postpone the District 2 general election scheduled for May 2, 2020, moving it to Nov. 3, 2020 after the council said it received permission and guidance from Governor Greg Abbott.
The mayor said the governor "gave us all permission to do this" and recommended postponement given public-health concerns and the need for poll workers and two weeks of early voting. Councilmembers noted that turnout is typically low for local contests and that postponing to November could improve voter participation if the public-health crisis persists.
Councilmember Portugal said she favored postponement and expressed hope that conditions would improve by November. Councilmember Knox said she preferred to err on the side of caution to keep citizens safe. The mayor said he was concerned about poll-worker availability on the scheduled May date.
The mayor moved to postpone the election; the motion was seconded and a roll-call vote was unanimous.
The council noted that the incumbent (who would have remained in office if the election were postponed) will continue to serve until the November election, and that the single contested seat would still be filled at the later date. No additional changes to election mechanics or dates beyond the Nov. 3 date were specified at the meeting.
