By Leann Schenke

DOVER — Following the resignation of Councilman Matt Lindell in September, the city will hold a special election to fill the 1st District seat now open.

The election, approved during a Monday council meeting, will be held from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 16. The polling place is the Elks Lodge at 200 S. Saulsbury Road.

Because Councilman Lindell resigned with more than six months left in his term, the city’s code dictates that there must be a special election to fill the vacancy, Council President Roy Sudler said Monday.

Whoever is elected will fill out the rest of Councilman Lindell’s term, which ends May 8, 2023.

The deadline to file for candidacy is 4:30 p.m. Nov. 1. Those interested in running must live in the 1st District, which roughly covers the western portion of Dover. For a map of the districts, see here.

The deadline to register to vote in the special election is Nov. 6. A voter must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of the 1st District and at least 18 years old.

For more information on registration procedures, visit ivote.de.gov or elections.delaware.gov.

The oath of office for the winner will be administered during council’s Dec. 13 meeting.
Councilman Lindell was sworn into office in May 2017. Gerald Rocha also represents the district.

During a September council meeting, Councilman Lindell announced that he and his family were moving out of the 1st District to a farm near his wife’s relatives, a few miles west of Dover. He officially resigned in late September.

There are a total of four voting districts in Dover, with two council members elected in each, as well as one councilperson at large and the mayor, who both represent the entire city.

The mayor and council members typically serve four-year staggered terms.