Special election of Lane Carter's vacant San Angelo City Council seat set for January 2022

John Tufts, San Angelo Standard-Times
·4 min read
The City of San Angelo logo appears in the wall at City Council chambers in the convention center.
The City of San Angelo logo appears in the wall at City Council chambers in the convention center.

SAN ANGELO — Three weeks after Lane Carter stepped down from office, the race to fill his vacant seat on the San Angelo City Council has officially begun, but candidates will have to scramble if they want to be elected.

On Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, the six remaining members of city council voted unanimously to approve a special election next month for Single Member District 5, which includes areas of Santa Rita and College Hills.

The election to fill Carter's vacancy normally would have taken place 120 days after his announcement to leave office, according to Section 11 of the Texas Constitution for terms exceeding two years, but not four years, and when the remaining term is more than 12 months away from reelection.

Carter resigned from City Council on Nov. 16 to announce he was running for Tom Green County Judge during next year's March primary.

"That would have given us until March 16 to conduct the election," said Julia Antilley, City Clerk. "However, there's another provision in state law that says there are 30 blackout dates on either side of a primary, so that pushed us back to the very last available date for an election to be Jan. 29.

"A lot of this is happening near the holidays. It is a very compressed timeline," Antilley said. "But again, we've been in close communication with the Secretary of State and this is what we have to do."

Antilley said the filing deadline for the upcoming election would begin Tuesday, Dec. 7 and extend until Monday, Dec. 20, giving potential candidates less than two weeks to file required paperwork.

At 10 a.m., Monday, Dec. 27, the names of those who have filed to run for City Council District 5 will be drawn for the order they will appear on the ballot. Early voting will take place weekdays only from Jan. 12 until Jan. 25, excluding Jan. 17 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Two candidates had filed to run for election by 5 p.m. Tuesday: John Austin Stokes and Lynette Lucas, according to a statement released by the City.

What potential candidates need to do

San Angelo residents living in District 5 who wish to serve on City Council can acquire candidate packets for the Jan. 29 special election either online or at City Hall, 72 W. College Ave.

Candidate packets can be downloaded online at cosatx.us/Elections. Physical copies of required forms are available in the City Clerk’s office in Room 204 on the second floor of City Hall, according to a City news release.

The office is open weekdays 8 a.m.- noon and 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Candidates will file the necessary paperwork in the City Clerk’s office during the filing period, a release stated.

How to register to vote

Voter registration applications are available at the Tom Green County Election/Voter Registration Office on the first floor of the Edd B. Keyes Building, 113 W. Beauregard Ave.

Applications can also be obtained online at VoteTomGreenCounty.org, by mail, or by calling 325-659-6541. Completed applications can be returned in person or by mail.

Citizens can also register to vote when renewing their driver’s license in person at a Texas Department of Public Safety office. To determine eligibility to vote or current voter registration status, visit votetexas.gov/register-to-vote.

Important Special Election Dates:

  • Filing period: Tues. Dec. 7 - Mon. Dec. 20

  • Ballot drawing: 10 a.m. Mon. Dec. 27.

  • Register to vote by: Thurs. Dec. 30

  • Early voting: Wed. Jan. 12 - Tues. Jan. 25

  • Election Day: Sat. Jan. 29, 2021.

Where to vote on Election Day

On Election Day, January 29, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the following locations, according to a City news release.

  • Angelo Bible Church, 3506 Sherwood Way

  • MHMR Services of the Concho Valley Administration Building, 1501 W. Beauregard Ave.

  • St. Mark Presbyterian Church, 2506 Johnson Ave.

For more information, contact City Clerk Julia Antilley at 325-657-4405 or at julia.antilley@cosatx.us.

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John Tufts covers enterprise and investigative topics in West Texas. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: What to know about the San Angelo special election in January 2022