7-4-2106. Vacancy on board of county commissioners. (1) For the purposes of this part, "vacancy" has the same meaning as prescribed in 2-16-501.
     (2) Whenever a vacancy occurs in the board of county commissioners from a failure to elect or otherwise, the remaining county commissioners shall fill the vacancy and the appointee shall hold office until the next general election unless otherwise provided in subsection (3) or (4). The procedure to be used to fill the vacancy is as follows:
     (a) If the former incumbent represented a party eligible for a primary election under 13-10-601, the county central committee of that party shall submit to the remaining commissioners three names of people who have lived in the unrepresented district for at least 2 years preceding the day the vacancy occurs. The remaining commissioners shall appoint one of these three to fill the vacancy. Whenever the remaining commissioners are unable to elect an appointee from the submitted list, they shall request a second list of three names from the county central committee. The second list may not contain any of the names submitted on the first list. The remaining commissioners shall then select an appointee from the individuals named on both lists.
     (b) If the former incumbent was independent or was originally nominated by a party that does not meet the requirements of 13-10-601 or if the vacancy occurs from a failure to elect, the remaining commissioners shall invite applications for the vacancy in a notice published as provided in 13-1-108 and shall accept an application from any person who has lived in the unrepresented district for at least 2 years preceding the day the vacancy occurs. The remaining commissioners shall appoint one of these applicants to fill the vacancy.
     (3) Whenever a vacancy occurs 75 days or more before the general election held during the second or fourth year of the term, an individual must be elected to complete the term at that general election. The election procedure to be used to elect the successor is as follows:
     (a) Whenever the vacancy occurs 75 days or more before the primary election during the second or fourth year of the term, the same procedure must be used as is used to elect county commissioners to full 6-year terms.
     (b) Whenever the vacancy occurs after the 75th day preceding the primary election, any political party desiring to enter a candidate in the general election shall select a candidate as provided in 13-38-204. A political party shall notify the clerk and recorder of the party nominee. A person desiring to be a candidate as an independent shall follow the procedures provided in 13-10-501 and 13-10-502. The petition for an independent candidate must be filed with the clerk and recorder on or before the 75th day prior to the general election. A candidate for a nonpartisan office shall file as provided in Title 13, chapter 14.
     (4) Whenever a vacancy occurs after the 75th day preceding the general election held during the fourth year of the term, the person appointed by the remaining county commissioners under subsection (2) shall serve until the end of the term.

     History: En. Sec. 4212, Pol. C. 1895; re-en. Sec. 2883, Rev. C. 1907; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 5, L. 1913; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 28, L. 1921; re-en. Sec. 4454, R.C.M. 1921; Cal. Pol. C. Sec. 4026; re-en. Sec. 4454, R.C.M. 1935; R.C.M. 1947, 16-903; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 526, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 14, Ch. 250, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 551, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 32, Ch. 42, L. 1997.