42. Filling vacancies in elective offices. 1. A vacancy occurring before September twentieth of any year in any office authorized to be filled at a general election, except in the offices of governor or lieutenant-governor, shall be filled at the general election held next thereafter, unless otherwise provided by the constitution, or unless previously filled at a special election.
2. A vacancy occurring by the expiration of term at the end of an even numbered year in an office which may not under the provisions of the constitution be filled for a full term at the general election held prior to the expiration of such term, shall be filled at said general election for a term ending with the commencement of the political year next succeeding the first general election at which said office can be filled by election for a full term.
3. Upon the failure to elect to any office, except that of governor or lieutenant-governor, at a general or special election, at which such office is authorized to be filled, or upon the death or disqualification of a person elected to office before the commencement of his or her official term, or upon the occurrence of a vacancy in any elective office which cannot be filled by appointment for a period extending to or beyond the next general election at which a person may be elected thereto, the governor may in his or her discretion make proclamation of a special election to fill such office, specifying the district or county in which the election is to be held, and the day thereof, which shall be not less than seventy nor more than eighty days from the date of the proclamation.
4. A special election shall not be held to fill a vacancy in the office of a representative in congress unless such vacancy occurs on or before the first day of July of the last year of the term of office, or unless it occurs thereafter and a special session of congress is called to meet before the next general election, or be called after September nineteenth of such year; nor to fill a vacancy in the office of state senator or in the office of member of assembly, unless the vacancy occurs before the first day of April of the last year of the term of office, or unless the vacancy occurs in either such office of senator or member of assembly after such first day of April and a special session of the legislature be called to meet between such first day of April and the next general election or be called after September nineteenth in such year. If a special election to fill an office shall not be held as required by law, the office shall be filled at the next general election.
4-a. If a vacancy occurs in the office of United States senator from this state in any even numbered calendar year on or after the fifty-ninth day prior to the annual primary election, or thereafter during said even numbered year, the governor shall make a temporary appointment to fill such vacancy until the third day of January in the year following the next even numbered calendar year. If such vacancy occurs in any even numbered calendar year on or before the sixtieth day prior to an annual primary election, the governor shall make a temporary appointment to fill such vacancy until the third day of January in the next calendar year. If a vacancy occurs in the office of United States senator from this state in any odd numbered calendar year, the governor shall make a temporary appointment to fill such vacancy until the third day of January in the next odd numbered calendar year. Such an appointment shall be evidenced by a certificate of the governor which shall be filed in the office of the state board of elections. At the time for filing such certificate, the governor shall issue and file in the office of the state board of elections a writ of election directing the election of a United States senator to fill such vacancy for the unexpired term at the general election next preceding the expiration for the term of such appointment.
5. Whenever the authority to fill any vacancy is vested in a board and such board is unable to fill such vacancy in an elective office by reason of a tie vote, or such board neglects to fill such vacancy for any other reason, the governor may, in his discretion, make proclamation of a special election to fill the vacancy.
Last modified: February 3, 2019