If a vacancy occurs in the office of representative in Congress due to a catastrophic circumstance in which one hundred or more representatives across the United States are no longer able to serve and the next regular or special election is more than seventy-five days in the future, the governor shall immediately issue a writ of election calling a special election to fill the vacancy. The date of the election shall be forty-nine days from the date of the proclamation and the following deadlines shall apply:

1.    Certificate of endorsement as described in section 16.1-11-09, affidavits of candidacy described in section 16.1-11-10, and statements of interest described in section 16.1-09-03 for those candidates nominated by political parties currently established in the state shall be filed with the secretary of state by four p.m. on the fortieth day before the election.

2.    If the election occurs in an election year, the precincts previously established by the county shall be utilized.

3.    If the election occurs in a year without a scheduled election, the board of county commissioners must establish the precinct boundaries by the fortieth day before the election.

4.    The secretary of state shall certify to the county auditors the names of the candidates for the election on the thirty-ninth day before the election.

5.    Absentee ballots shall be made available to qualified electors by the thirtieth day before the election.