Yesterday, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie vetoed Assembly Bill 4237, which would have merged the dates of this year’s general and special elections.

Because New Jersey’s statewide elections in November are scheduled only 20 days after the October special election, critics have argued the expense of the two elections is too costly for the state and will diminish voter turnout for both elections. The vetoed bill changed the date of the 2013 general election from November 5 to October 16 and directed the secretary of state to provide appropriate notice to state, county, local officials, and the general public as to the change of date.

Another bill vetoed yesterday, Assembly Bill 4249, would have allowed early in-person voting at designated polling places during the special general election scheduled for October 16, 2013. Under the vetoed bill, votes would have been considered in-person early voting for both the vacant U.S. Senator seat and for all offices and public questions to be voted on at the general election on November 5, 2013.

On November 16, 2013, a special primary election will be held for the Louisiana state House District 87 seat. State Rep. Girod Jackson III resigned in August due to allegations of federal tax fraud.

If no candidate receives a majority of the votes in the special primary election, a special runoff election will be held on December 14, 2013.

The DuPage County Board repealed its pay-to-play provisions after learning from the state’s attorney’s office the provisions were unenforceable. As a non-home rule county, the county did not have the power to act on limiting campaign contributions because it was not specifically granted that power by the state legislature.

The changes were enacted as part of an otherwise minor update to the county’s ethics code. Provisions requiring disclosure of campaign contributions by contractors remain in place.

City Council has scheduled a special election to replace Mayor Bob Filner on November 19, 2013. Filner is scheduled to resign Friday, August 29, following sexual harassment allegations from more than a dozen women.

If one candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, the person would assume office December 17, 2013. If no candidate wins a majority of the vote, a runoff election would be held within the 49-day period called for by the City Charter.

City Council has passed the Public Ethics and Financial Disclosure Ordinance (O-41-12), as required by a 2011 state law. The ordinance does not change lobbyist registration or reporting dates, but does add definitions, gift restrictions, and penalties for violations.

Lobbying will now include grassroots activities, but reporting obligations remain focused on expenditures for the benefit of officials and employees. Tickets to sporting events will no longer be permitted and the Annapolis Ethics Commission may impose a fine of $5,000 for each violation.

The legislation was pre-approved by the State Ethics Commission in late October, 2012, allowing the ordinance to take effect January 1, 2014.

The Missouri Ethics Commission has announced James Klahr as the new executive director for a six-year term beginning September 13, 2013. Klahr has worked for now-Governor Jay Nixon since 1997, most recently as the administration’s legislative liaison in the Department of Public Safety.

Klahr replaces Julie Allen, who became the elections director for Secretary of State Jason Kander in January. Stacey Heislen will remain on the commission’s staff after serving as acting director.

A special election will be held November 5, 2013, for the Texas State House of Representatives District No. 50 seat.

State Rep. Mark Strama announced his resignation on June 26, 2013, in order to work for Google Fiber. The winner of the election will serve out the unexpired term of Strama, who was last elected to the seat on May 29, 2012.

The Kentucky Legislature adjourned its special session on Friday, August 23, 2013, after passing a new redistricting plan.

Governor Beshear quickly signed the bill after its passage.

Governor Pat McCrory has issued a proclamation calling for a special session to convene at noon on September 3, 2013.

However, if a majority of legislators write declaring they do not want to meet, no session will occur.

The purpose of the session is to consider overriding the governor’s vetoes.

Governor Mark Dayton and legislative leaders have agreed to a special session in September.

The one-day session, scheduled for September 9, 2013, will address financial relief for damages caused by June storms.

The Ethics Commission has announced a scheduled maintenance for the lobbying and campaign finance electronic filing systems.

The filing systems and public access websites will be down between 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 24, 2013 and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 25, 2013.

The commission has advised campaign finance entities to plan accordingly if required to file 24-hour expenditure or contribution reports.

On August 8, 2013, the Texas Ethics Commission adopted a new rule concerning political and legislative advertising related to redistricting and amended its definition of political advertising.

The new commission rule allows candidates campaigning in districts altered by redistricting to use the term re-elect “only if the candidate is the elected incumbent of an office that represented any part of the new or renumbered district prior to the redistricting”.

The definition of political advertising was amended to contrast an individual communication made by email versus “mass e-mails involving an expenditure of funds beyond the basic cost of hardware messaging software and bandwidth”. Currently the rule’s language in the definition of political advertising reads only that it “does not include communication made by email”.

The changes take effect on September 1, 2013.

Voters in House District 36 will head to the polls this fall to select a successor to Rep. Mike Fasano, who resigned to take a position as Pasco County’s tax collector.

The special primary will be held September 17, 2013, with the special general election following on October 15.

Special elections have been announced for House Districts 74 and 104. A special primary will be held on October 15, 2013, with the general election to take place on December 10, 2013 whether or not a primary is needed.

If a primary runoff is needed, it will be held December 3, 2013, with the general election postponed until January 28, 2014. Voters will be replacing Rep. Jim Barton in District 104 and Rep. Jay Love in District 74.