The city of Caldwell plans to hold a runoff election in the City Council race in which no candidate received more than 50% of the votes.
City officials decided Friday morning to ask the Canyon County Clerk’s Office to hold an election on their behalf.
John McGee received 39% of the vote total — and was declared the winner by the county — in Tuesday’s election.
Evangeline Beechler received 30% of the vote total which was the second-highest.
The Canyon County Elections Office initially indicated that the candidate with the highest number of votes would be declared elected.
The Idaho Statesman reports that the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office advised that Caldwell’s ordinance means “that a Caldwell City Council candidate must receive more than 50% of all votes cast in order to win the election.”
“In the event that no candidate receives more than 50%, a runoff election between the two candidates with the most votes is required.”
