The special election to fill the Sixth District vacancy on the Hennepin County Board is scheduled for April 9, which is also Eid al-Fitr, the end of the month of Ramadan and one of the most celebrated holy days for Muslims.
Ramadan, a month of fasting, prayer and acts of service, is expected to begin Sunday, March 10, and last for 30 days ending Tuesday, April 9 with Eid al-Fitr. Ramadan begins and ends with the sighting of a new crescent moon so there is not a definitive date for the holy month.
Jen Westmoreland, one of three candidates to announce a run for the seat, released a statement Thursday drawing attention to the date picked for the special election.
"This decision disenfranchises Muslim voters in our community who have the right to decide who represents them on the Hennepin County Board," Westmoreland said. She added that the County Board should have more flexibility to avoid conflicts with major holidays.
In June, an unexpected change in the Eid al-Adha holiday affected a Minneapolis City Council vote about putting a rent control ordinance on the November ballot.
Messages seeking comment left with leaders of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota and the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations were not immediately returned Thursday afternoon.
State law requires the county auditor to call a special election within seven days of a board vacancy and provides only a few options for the date, although early voting is available. The April 9 special election was set in late August after Commissioner Chris LaTondresse announced he would step down to run a St. Paul housing nonprofit.
Westmoreland is the Hopkins school board chair and is in a relationship with Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. She said if elected to the County Board she would recuse herself from any decisions that benefit her partner financially.
