Covina : Change in Election Sought

A special election to replace the Covina City Council has been set for Oct. 5, but city officials are trying to change it to merge the vote with a Nov. 2 special statewide ballot.

City Clerk Joey Southall said state law mandated that she set the election at last Tuesday’s council meeting. The vote must be on a Tuesday within 89 days of the final results of the July 13 recall election, she said, which left no choice but to set the election for Oct. 5.

The following Tuesday would have been within the 89-day limit, but it follows a three-day weekend and state law does not allow an election the day after a holiday.

The city is seeking a legal ruling from the state attorney general that would allow the change.

Southall said she would prefer to hold the election in November because it would give council candidates another week to file paperwork and would give voters more time to consider the choices.

Unless the election is changed, candidates must file by 5 p.m. Thursday. If the election is delayed, the filing deadline would be Aug. 6.

If the ballots are merged, the county registrar will run the council election. Southall said the county has not given an estimate of how much it would charge the city, but she expects there may be as much as a 20% saving. The council has approved $45,000 for the election.