MINOT, NORTH DAKOTA (KXNET) — Petitions are circulating, calling for a special Mayoral election. Broadway Bean and Bagel in Minot was a central site Saturday for neighbors to sign their name in support of the possible special election.

This comes after Minot’s now former Mayor, Tom Ross, resigned last week after an internal investigation became public. That internal investigation showed Minot’s City Attorney filed a complaint after Ross accidentally texted her a sexually explicit video of himself.

Now, some Minot residents are calling for a fresh start. According to North Dakota’s Century Code {40-08-16}, the City Council can call a special election for the vacant Mayoral seat if a petition is signed by a qualified number of voters. That number, in this case, is 293 signatures.

People hosting the petition sites said about four known petitions are circulating, and as of Saturday afternoon, they estimate they have about half of the signatures needed to call for a special election.

“Everyone has come in and given their opinions on things, and they are just wanting to participate in the process,” said David Gipson. “I think they are happy to have a choice.”

Right now, Council President Mark Jantzer is filling the city’s Mayoral duties.

The deadline for the petition is April 16 at 4:00 p.m. If there are not enough signatures, council members could vote to appoint one of the six current sitting council members as Mayor to finish out Ross’s term, which ends in June of 2026. They could also vote to call for a special election themselves. City leaders note, a special election could cost $15,000 to $20,000.