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Attachment E <br />To: Roseville City Council <br />From: Mayor Craig D. Klausing <br />Date: July 2,4, 2008 , <br />Re: Special Elections, in Roseville <br />Introduction <br />The purpose of this memo is to frame up some of issues I believe we should be thinking <br />about as we consider any change to our election law. <br />There have been a couple of questions posed dealing with this possible change. The first: is it <br />preferable to have councilmemb�ers appointed by the council or elected by the citizens? <br />Further, is it necessary to be elected rather than appointed for the councilmemb�er to have <br />legitimacy or accountability? <br />The answer to both questions is: it depends. It depends upon the circumstances under which <br />a special election is held. Under an ordinance which merely provides for a special election <br />anytime there are at least ten weeks before the filing of affidavits of candidacy, I believe the <br />answer is no. It is not preferable to have the vacancy filled by a special election. <br />Considerations, With a Special Election <br />Part of what gives any officeholder legitimacy is that they are elected in a "legitimate" <br />election. Most people would prob�ab�ly agree that a legitimate election meets some or all of <br />the following criteria. <br />• First, the election must be one where voters know there is an election and have an <br />opportunity to participate in it. <br />Second, the time between when the election is announced and the actual election must <br />be sufficient for the voters to get to know the candidates and for the candidates to <br />introduce themselves to voters. <br />Third, the election process itself ought to be structured in such a way that it does not <br />bestow an unfair advantage on any of the candidates. <br />1 <br />