Late Thursday afternoon, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty appointed a prominent Washington attorney to the city's board of elections in an effort to avoid a potential problem come primary season.
For more than a year, the three-member board has been short one member. Then last week, Chairman Errol Arthur announced he is stepping down Aug. 2, leaving the board with only one member and no quorum to certify primary votes in September.
Fenty appointed Togo West, who previously served as the Secretary of the Army under President Bill Clinton.
The City Council will vote on West's nomination in a special session next week.
"I plan to act quickly on the nomination, recognizing time is of the essence as we look ahead to the upcoming elections," said Council Chairman Vincent Gray, who is running against Fenty for the Democratic mayoral nomination.
"I am committed to moving swiftly on the nominee to ensure that the important work of the Board of Elections and Ethics continues without any disruption,” said Councilwoman Mary Cheh, who chairs the Committee on Government Operations and the Environment, which has jurisdiction over elections.
The primary is Sept. 14.
