28 CFR § 51.17 - Special elections.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t28/s51.17"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "28 CFR § 51.17 - Special elections."
title_number: 28
title_name: "Judicial Administration"
section_number: "51.17"
section_name: "Special elections."
chapter_name: "DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE"
part_number: "51"
part_name: "PROCEDURES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF SECTION 5 OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965, AS AMENDED"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-04-05"
last_updated: "2026-04-05"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "5 U.S.C. 301; 28 U.S.C. 509, 510, and 42 U.S.C. 1973b, 1973c."
regulatory_source: "52 FR 490, Jan. 6, 1987, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "51"
---


# 51.17 Special elections.

(a) The conduct of a special election (e.g., an election to fill a vacancy; an initiative, referendum, or recall election; or a bond issue election) is subject to the preclearance requirement to the extent that the jurisdiction makes changes in the practices or procedures to be followed.

(b) Any discretionary setting of the date for a special election or scheduling of events leading up to or following a special election is subject to the preclearance requirement.

(c) A jurisdiction conducting a referendum election to ratify a change in a practice or procedure that affects voting may submit the change to be voted on at the same time that it submits any changes involved in the conduct of the referendum election. A jurisdiction wishing to receive preclearance for the change to be ratified should state clearly that such preclearance is being requested. See § 51.22 of this part.