File 25, Volume 421
October 15th, 2020
Only Three Sheriffs’ Races in Upcoming Election
Due to a historical anomaly, there are only three Sheriffs’ races this Fall, when the average number of races in other years is eighteen. In 1984, the Sheriffs’ Association was successful in promoting an amendment to the State Constitution, which allowed the Legislature to change the term of office for Sheriffs and County Clerks from three years to four, thus creating a one-year gap during the conversion from three-year to four-year terms, when there were no Sheriffs’ races. This year’s few races got into this unique cycle when, over the years, a Sheriff left office before the end of the term and a new Sheriff was elected to start a new four-year term.
