On January 10, the Alabama House Constitution, Campaigns and Elections Committee passed HB 17. It provides that when there is a vacancy in a U.S. Senate seat, there would be no special election until November of the next even year. If this bill had been in effect last year, Alabama would not have held a special election to fill the vacancy created when Jeff Sessions resigned until November 2018. Instead, gubernatorial appointee Luther Strange would have filled the seat during 2018.
Ballot Access News
Edited By Richard Winger
How many States have ONLY Nov even/odd dates for vacancy special elections ???
— to have better turnout and lower costs.
Candidate/incumbent rank order lists for replacements in election time/term.
Due to deadline dates — what is the max time possible with NO USA Senator ???
About 2 years, 9 months ??? — or more ???
Any local Nov odd year elections in AL (ie in ALL States) ???
When the Constitution was written, legislatures met every year (most states held annual elections – the Federalist Papers justified the two-year term for federal representatives). The possibility of a temporary gubernatorial appointment was so that a special legislative session would not have to be called. The place of senatorial elections can not be set by Congress so that they might not dictate the location where a legislature met.
If a legislature was in session when a senatorial vacancy occurred there could not be a gubernatorial appointment, even if the legislature was unaware of the vacancy. And if a legislature failed to elect someone, the seat would remain vacant.
The 17th Amendment unfortunately left the provision in place with respect to popular elections. But instead of permitting a temporary appointment, it has now been perverted into a system of delayed elections.
Instead of an interim appointment until an election can be arranged, elections are now delayed in order to prolong the length of appointments, leading to corruption (e.g. Illinois, Alabama, New Hampshire).
Congress has the authority to regulate the time of senatorial elections, and should require election within 90 days of a vacancy, unless less than six months remained on a term.
Various HACK MORONS drafting Const Amdts —
such as the 17th Amdt and NOT changing 14th Amdt, Sec. 2.
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END the MADNESS —
PR and AppV