The special election to fill the Sixth District vacancy on the Hennepin County Board is scheduled for April 9, which is also Eid al-Fitr, the end of the month of Ramadan and one of the most celebrated holy days for Muslims.

Ramadan, a month of fasting, prayer and acts of service, is expected to begin Sunday, March 10, and last for 30 days ending Tuesday, April 9 with Eid al-Fitr. Ramadan begins and ends with the sighting of a new crescent moon so there is not a definitive date for the holy month.

Jen Westmoreland, one of three candidates to announce a run for the seat, released a statement Thursday drawing attention to the date picked for the special election.

“This decision disenfranchises Muslim voters in our community who have the right to decide who represents them on the Hennepin County Board,” Westmoreland’s statement said. She added that the County Board should have more flexibility to avoid conflicts with major holidays.

State law requires the county auditor to call a special election within seven days of a board vacancy and provides only a few options for the date, although early voting is an option. The April 9 special election was set in late August after Commissioner Chris Latondresse announced he would step down to run a St. Paul housing nonprofit.

Westmoreland is the Hopkins school board chair and is in a relationship with Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. She said if elected to the County Board she would recuse herself from any decisions that benefit her partner financially.

Also in the race are Alicia Gibson, now an Edina resident, who ran for the Minneapolis City Council in 2021; and Dario Anselmo, who announced his candidacy Thursday.

An Edina businessman, Anselmo narrowly lost to LaTondresse in 2020 and previously served a term in the Minnesota Legislature.

Hennepin County’s Sixth District has 66 precincts and includes parts of Edina, Greenwood, Hopkins, Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, Shorewood and Wayzata. Candidate filings open Jan. 30 and if there are more than two a primary will be held March 26.

The winner of the special election will serve out the remainder of LaTondresse’s term, which expires in December 2024. Hennepin County commissioners earn $119,244 annually.