(KTXL) — The City of Lodi has started the process of filling the District 4 seat held by Shakir Khan. 

At a special session Tuesday, March 14, the Lodi City Council approved the application and timeline, which is set to end with appointing someone to the vacant seat. 

Interested candidates can fill out the application online on the city’s website. According to the city, the application link will be a banner across the top of the home page during the duration of the open application period. 

The last day to submit an application will be before 5 p.m. on March 24. Following submissions, the Lodi City Clerk will forward all applications to the city council members for a review process. 

The San Joaquin Registrar of Voters will then verify the voter registration of the applicants and a special meeting will take place on March 29.

At the special session, the city council will interview candidates, hear public comment, and discuss the candidates with possibly appointing somebody to the District 4 seat. 

If more time is needed, the council will continue the discussion and appoint someone to the vacant seat at its April 5 meeting.

The Lodi City Council officially moved forward with filling the District 4 seat after a special meeting on March 7. City council members voted 3-1 to appoint a successor.

The three options the city council reviewed were to appoint someone to the seat, to call for a special election in November or to do nothing. 

The Registrar of Voters estimated a special election would cost the city between $25,000 to $50,000. 

City staff recommended against not filling the seat because state law requires the city council to fill the vacant seat within 60 days by appointment or by a special election. 

The vacancy of the District 4 seat stems from Khan’s Feb. 16 arrest related to election fraud charges in the 2020 election. 

Following Khan’s arrest, Lodi Mayor Mikey Hothi visited him in jail and announced he obtained Khan’s resignation via a handwritten note that both of them signed during their meeting. 

Since the mayor announced Khan resigned, Khan’s lawyer Allen Sawyer denied his client’s resignation was valid, claiming he was coerced into signing the document.