Measure may force city to conduct its own primary election, council told
BY P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
8/09/11 at 1:34 PM
City councilors were told Tuesday that there is a significant problem with one of the certified initiative petition ballot issues that, if approved by voters, would force the city to conduct its own primary election.
Assistant City Attorney Patrick Boulden said the issue was raised by the Tulsa County Election Board.
The ballot question at issue seeks to have nonpartisan elections on even-numbered years with the primary held in September, Boulden said.
Assistant Secretary Shelly Boggs has said the election board does not hold elections in September and October in even-numbered years.
If approved, any election held in those months on those years will be the responsibility of the city to conduct, she said.
Boggs has said before that if the election board conducts a stand-alone election for the city, costs would be between $155,000 and $160,000.
It's unknown what the costs would be for the city to conduct an election without the help of the election board, or for a private firm to do it.
Boulden said the council's only action is to approve what the petitioners submitted. By law, a certified initiative petition, must be placed on an election ballot.
Read more on the issue in Wednesday's Tulsa World.
Associated Images:
In ths 2010 file photo, Martha Wyatt fills out her ballot during early voting at the Tulsa County Election Board. CHRISTOPHER SMITH/Tulsa World File
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