The city of Palmhurst is taking its first steps to fill their mayoral vacancy unofficial election results showed the city’s late mayor was re-elected.

Hidalgo County's elections department is still in the process of canvassing the votes from the election that showed incumbent Ramiro Rodriguez as the uncertified winner of the city’s mayoral race.

Rodriguez died weeks prior to the May 7 election, but it was too late to have his name removed from the ballot.

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A representative for the Secretary of State’s office said the next step after canvassing the results would be to address the vacant mayoral seat Rodriguez left behind.

“If Mayor Rodriguez did in fact receive the most amount of votes, the vacancy will occur,” Sam Taylor, director of communications for the Secretary of State’s office said. “Then the city has a reasonable amount of time in which they have to call for a special election to occur."

That special election would have to happen within 120 days.

According to Palmhurst Mayor pro tem Robert Salinas, last week’s election cost 22, 370. He believes a special election would cost the same, but hopes the special election will open up for new mayoral candidates.