The City of Peoria has an answer to a question that seems like a no-brainer. A recently issued court order adds language to a 1988 Court Decree. Peoria Public Radio’s Tanya Koonce reports it specifies voters get the same number of votes as there are at-large seats up for election.
The 28-year-old decree was designed to ensure better at-large minority representation on the Peoria City Council. It increased the number of at-large seats from 3 to 5, and implemented cumulative voting allowing a voter to choose how to allocate 5 votes, including giving all to a single candidate. Don Leist is Legal Counsel for the City of Peoria. He says the clarification is helpful:
“It’s merely just to provide some certainty for the voters, for the candidates, and for that matter the Peoria Board of Elections. Just so that we can have an election that everyone knows what the rules are before hand,” Leist said.
State Sen. Chuck Weaver resigned his Peoria City Council seat last October with more than 28-months left on his term. That triggered the need for the special election and decree clarification.
Sid Ruckriegel was appointed to the seat and is running to retain it. The recent court order means with one at-large seat up for election, voters will have one vote to cast in the April 4th special election.