(Atlantic, Iowa) – A petition being circulated in Cass County asks for the County Board of Supervisors to call a special election, for the purpose of selecting one of three proposed supervisor representation plans. The proposed plans are as follows:

Plan One: Election at large, and without district residence requirements for the members.
Plan Two: Election at large, but with equal-population district residence requirements for the members. If the county changes to Plan Two, the supervisor must live in the district they represent, but will be voted upon by the entire county.
Plan Three: Election from single-member, equal-population districts in which the electors of each district shall elect one member who must reside in that district.

Cass County Auditor Kathy Somers confirms Plan Three is the format the County currently uses, and has used for years. Plan Three requires the supervisor to live in the district they represent, and only residents of that district are allowed to vote for their supervisor. If the county would change to Plan One, all five supervisors may be elected by the entire county and live in any part of the county.

Somers says Cass County citizens may file a petition if they would like to hold a special election to change the Board of Supervisors’ representation plan under the Code of Iowa. The petition will require 532 signatures of eligible electors, and must be filed with the county auditor’s office by June first, 2023.

If a petition is filed, the special election will take place Tuesday, August first. Voters will be asked to select one of three plans allowed by the state for their county supervisor representation. The plan with the most votes will be adopted.

If Plan One or Plan Two is adopted, the November, 2024 general election will elect supervisors under the new representation plan and the current supervisors’ terms will expire January 1, 2025 unless they are re-elected under the new plan. A new plan must remain in effect for at least six years once it is adopted at a special election.