Itasca County sets special election for Board seat left vacant by Ives

GRAND RAPIDS — Itasca County will have a special election early next year to fill the County Board seat left vacant by Burl Ives, who died in September.

Ives was up for reelection this year for the District 4 seat. He died too close to Election Day for his name to be removed from the ballot.

District 4 residents voted to reelect Ives, who received 72% of the vote, triggering the special election. District 4 is in southwestern Itasca County and includes southwestern Grand Rapids and Harris, Blackberry, Splithand, Wildwood and Spang townships.

Local News

Itasca County Commissioner Burl Ives dies at age 57

Just nine days before the death of Burl Ives, his father Mike died at the age of 80 at his home on Pokegama Lake. Burl worked alongside his father in multiple family businesses.

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The Itasca County Board officially declared Ives' seat vacant for a second time and set the special election at its Nov. 19 work session.

Itasca County Auditor-Treasurer Austin Rohling explained to the board that the election will run just like any other.

“So if you’re in a mail-in, mailing district — which there is four in that district — you’ll receive a mail-in ballot," he said. "If you’re an automatic absentee, you will receive an absentee ballot. If you have a polling location, wherever you voted on November here, will be where you vote for that special election.”

The special election will be Feb. 11, unless more than two candidates file. In that case, the primary will be Feb. 11, and the special election will be April 8.

The filing period for candidates opens at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27, and closes at 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5. Candidates can file in person at the county auditor’s office or by mail.