City Of Bemidji Ward 2 Special Election Cancelled, New Date Set

The Bemidji City Council has canceled the special election set for May 12th after the city made an error when publishing the notice for the filling period. The election was supposed to fill the vacant seat for Ward 2 after Mike Beard resigned earlier this year.

The city gave only three days of notice before the filing period opened – they’re supposed to be given 14 days of notice. The state also recently changed election laws, and special elections can only be held in certain months of the year. Ward 5 Councilor Nancy Erickson says the error was not deliberate.

The new special election date is set for August 11th. Special elections are allowed in February and May, or they can be combined with other elections in August or November. If no one wins with more than 50 percent of the vote, a secondary election will happen in the general election in November.