A judge has ordered a special election for House District 78 after a candidate lost the Democratic primary by roughly 90 votes. Although Bruce Franks won the in-person vote, his opponent’s margin of victory came solely from absentee ballots. Franks filed suit alleging people who cast absentee ballots did not qualify to apply for them.

Circuit court judge Rex Burlison ordered a special election be held September 16 because the board of elections violated state law by failing to require all absentee votes be in the proper absentee ballot envelopes.