BEMIDJI -- The special election for the Bemidji Ward 5 seat on the City Council will take place on Feb. 8, 2022, but early voting will be underway well before then.
Residents will be able to vote early in person from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Dec. 27 through Feb. 7, at Bemidji City Hall, 317 Fourth St. NW. Residents can request a mail-in ballot from City Clerk Michelle Miller, either by emailing her office at michelle.miller@ci.bemidji.mn.us or calling (218) 759-3570 .
Mail-in ballot requests will not be accepted after Feb. 1.
Voting for the special election will take place at Northwest Technical College, 905 Grant Ave. SE. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Candidates on the ballot will include:
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- Bill Batchelder, owner of Bemidji Woolen Mills and Bemidji firefighter.
- Lynn Eaton, a civil engineer at Widseth, Smith, Nolting and Associates, and former assistant director of operations for the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
- Micaiah Graham, a professional in the heating and air conditioning industry.
- Don Heinonen, a fleet shop manager and Greater Bemidji Area Joint Planning Commission member.
Kevin Campbell.
If none of the five candidates earn more than 50% of the vote in February, a runoff election will take place in August between the top two finishers.
The seat is open because
Nancy Erickson resigned from the Ward 5 position after serving 16 years on the council
. Her most recent electoral victory was in 2020, where she defeated Heinonen.
