Cleveland set for pair of elections

The City of Cleveland has set dates for a pair of special elections, one for mayor and one to fill the Ward 2 seat formerly held by Annie Sutton.

Sutton resigned the Council seat Jan. 27 to qualify for the city’s other special election for mayor, which will be held Tuesday, March 24. The Ward 2 special election will be Tuesday, May 19. Voting for both elections will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Cleveland First Baptist Church fellowship hall (25 Church St.).

Sutton and Josh Turner were the lone candidates to emerge for mayor during a three-day qualifying period that ended Wednesday, Jan. 29. The winner will succeed Shan Ash, who resigned Dec. 30 just before his second term was to begin.

Qualifying for the Ward 2 post will be held Monday, March 30, through Wednesday, April 1, at Cleveland City Hall from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. The qualifying fee is $117. 

The city had already advertised a call for the mayor’s special election prior to the Ward 2 vacancy, so a second special election was needed. There will also be two separate deadlines for voter registration and early voting.

Deadlines to register to vote are 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24, for the mayoral special election and 5 p.m. Monday, April 20, for the Ward 2 race. Those who have not registered can visit the White County Board of Elections and Registration, 1241 Helen Highway, Suite 210-A, in Cleveland.

Early voting for the mayor special election will be from March 2 to March 20, while early voting for Ward 2 will be April 27 – May 15. Both will be held at Cleveland City Hall during regular business hours.

In related business, the Cleveland City Council voted Kevin Stanley as the mayor pro tem during the city’s Feb. 3 meeting. The Council had named Sutton to the position, which presides over meetings when the mayor is absent, in January.