"Special election musical chairs" is a term used by editorialists to describe a series of special elections triggered by the mid-term resignation or death of an officeholder, with elections being won by other officeholders, triggering further special elections until either the next election required to replace a vacant office is scheduled on a regular election day or the winner of an election does not create a vacancy in any elected office.
It is represented well by a series of five special elections that were held in the Oakland-Berkeley area from April 1998 to April 1999, due to: a political retirement, elected officials seeking higher office, and the requirements for filling mid-term vacancies under California election law. Near the end of it, there had been so many elections held that voters were increasingly unwilling to participate, and turnout fell to 15% of registered voters, one of the lowest turnouts in California history. The "musical chairs" began with the mid-term retirement of well-known Congressman Ron Dellums, and ended one year later with the unexpected election to the California State Assembly of Green Party candidate Audie Bock.
Read more about Special Election Musical Chairs: April 7, 1998: Special Congressional Election, September 1, 1998: Special State Senate Election, November 3, 1998: Special State Senate Run-off Election and Statewide General Election, February 2, 1999: Special State Assembly Election, March 30, 1999: Special Run-off State Assembly Election, Retrospective Analysis
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