ANAHEIM : Mayoral Candidates Seek Double Votes

In the barrage of mailers going out to Anaheim residents in these last days before Tuesday’s election there’s an added plea from the two mayoral candidates: Don’t just vote once, vote twice.

“Vote TWICE for Fred Hunter on Nov. 6,” read Hunter’s ads, with two squares marked, one for mayor and one for City Council.

“Elect for Mayor, Irv Pickler, Re-elect for City Council, Irv Pickler,” declares another campaign mailer, with two examples of two sample ballot boxes checked.

Under Anaheim’s election laws, the mayor must be a member of the City Council. Hunter’s and Pickler’s council terms expire this year.

For voters who want to support one of those candidates for mayor, they need to mark the ballot twice for the same candidate--once for the candidate’s council seat and once for the mayor’s seat.

But what happens if one candidate wins the mayoral contest but fails to win a council seat?

“If the person who receives the highest amount of votes for mayor is not elected to a City Council position, the mayoral election is declared a nullity, and the City Council would then appoint a mayor,” said City Atty. Jack L. White.

White said that situation has never arisen in past elections, and that voters seem to have a grasp of the complex ballot.