DC voters head to the polls to elect the next Ward 8 council member

Voters in D C s Ward are headed to the polls in a special polling to decide who they want to see represent them on the D C Council Among the candidates is the man who was kicked out of the role former Council member Trayon White Related stories What to know about DC s Ward council seat referendum We got to come out to vote as a people Early voting continues in special ballot in Ward DC Council seat Hear from the candidates on the special electoral contest ballot for the Ward DC Council seat AP Decision Notes What to expect in the Washington DC city council special voting process White was expelled after the council independently investigated the situation surrounding his arrest by the FBI last year on bribery charges White maintains his innocence Speaking to WTOP on Thursday White noted there never should have been a special electoral process because residents voted him back into office in November despite his arrest It happened and so we re trying to put the power back in the hands of the people with this polling White mentioned White is going up against three other candidates for the seat including Salim Adofo Mike Austin and Sheila Bunn Both Adofo and Austin have experience as Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners and Bunn s political experience includes working for both D C Del Eleanor Holmes Norton and former Mayor Vincent Gray Austin and Bunn both speaking to WTOP last week were critical of White and his decision to run again for the seat Austin called the need for a special poll an embarrassment to Ward and Bunn called White s participation in the race a distraction If White is reelected attention will turn to whether his council colleagues will move to expel him for a second time Council Chair Phil Mendelson briefly introduced a rule change aimed at making it easier for the council to do that by using evidence gathered during a first expulsion White reported WTOP he has a squad of lawyers ready to fight them if that were to happen The expulsion has left Ward without a designated council member since February leaving that seat vacant during pivotal budget debates and potentially for the greater part of the debate over the Washington Commanders stadium deal as the board of elections says the certification process could last until August if the ballots are challenged More information on the candidates and how to cast a ballot in the special referendum is available here Source