Gov. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia on Friday said he would call the state legislature into special session next week to take up the issues surrounding the succession of Robert C. Byrd, with a special election in November likely.
Acting on the recommendation of his counsel, Governor Manchin, a Democrat, said he would ask the legislature to convene at noon Thursday to straighten out a somewhat confusing election law picture.
Following Mr. Byrd’s death on June 28th, the secretary of state initially ruled no special election could be held this year, meaning an interim appointee would serve until November 2012. But the state attorney general said this week that Governor Manchin has the authority to schedule an election this year.
Full Story: Special Session on West Virginia Election – The Caucus Blog – NYTimes.com