AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Austin City Council member Paige Ellis will not be able to run for a third term in her District 8 seat, after the Austin city clerk's office said a petition failed to secure enough valid signatures.
Ellis has served in the District 8 seat since she was elected in 2018.
Under the city charter, council members are allowed to serve two four-year terms. The charter allows for a third term if a candidate can secure valid signatures from 5% of the qualified voters in their council district. According to the city clerk's office, that is 3,044 signatures.
Last week, Ellis submitted more than 3,400 signatures to the clerk's office. Monday evening, the clerk's office ruled Ellis' petition was 62 signatures short after conducting a statistical anlysis.
Two other candidates have filed to run for the seat - small business owner and former mayoral candidate Jeff Bowen, and former Austin EMS Association president Selena Xie.
The District 8 seat is one of five council seats on the ballot this November.
According to the city's election calendar, the city clerk is scheduled to draw the order of names for the ballot at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
City charter requires valid signatures of 5% of qualified voters from District 8
City charter requires valid signatures of 5% of qualified voters from District 8
