With various legislator scandals and resignations, the Oklahoma State Election Board is on track to spend as much as a quarter of a million dollars on special elections this year. Eight state legislators have resigned their seats early since Dec. 31, 2016. Along with multiple resignations due to various sex and malfeasance scandals at the Oklahoma Legislature, a few lawmakers also have stepped down over the past year to take new full-time jobs. Among three special elections scheduled for Nov. 14 is one to replace Rep. David Brumbaugh, R-Broken Arrow, who died while in office.
The Oklahoma State Election Board does not have firm numbers on the cost of each special election but estimates put the cost of filling these empty seats at $194,000 to $250,000, said Bryan Dean, spokesman for the election board.
The cost of a special election ranges between $10,000 and $24,000 for a state representative and $18,000 to $44,000 for a state senate seat.
Full Article: Lawmaker resignations cause growing special election costs for state | News OK.