Boston City Councilor Erin Murphy blocked an immediate vote on a Council president-led measure that seeks to bypass a special election for Tania Fernandes Anderson’s seat upon her resignation, delaying action on it at least until Friday.

Murphy, who favors moving forward with a special election, objected to City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune’s motion to move forward with a vote on the same day the home rule petition she’s co-sponsored with Councilor Liz Breadon was introduced at Wednesday’s meeting.

Fernandes Anderson, who has accepted a plea deal in a federal corruption case and is expected to plead guilty to two charges at a May 5 plea hearing, did not show up for the meeting.

“As an at-large city councilor, I am compelled to address this recent home rule petition, which seeks to cancel a special election in District 7,” Murphy said. “I believe that this move would deny residents of Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway and the South End their rightful representation at City Hall.”

Her objection automatically sent the petition to a subcommittee for further review, but in this case, a special City Council meeting has already been scheduled for Friday, when Louijeune indicated that she plans to call for another vote.

“We want to move quickly on this HRP so that we can actually give the residents of D7 time in making sure that they’re able to vet and elect the candidate of their choice,” Louijeune said. “This is all about bringing the people closer to democracy, and I understand the questions of representation, which is why this home rule petition goes out of its way to ensure that whoever wins in November would also be seated.”

That argument was challenged by Councilor John FitzGerald, who said that the democratic approach would be to let the process play out as dictated by the city charter.

“If we’re going to let democracy play out, that would be actually following the letter of the law, which we should let play out,” FitzGerald said. “I also want to remind people, it’s not the residents’ jobs to vet the candidates, but rather, it’s the candidates’ job to vet the community.”

He also pushed back on the argument that it would be “politically advantageous” for some to hold a special election, saying that others may stand to benefit politically as well should that process be bypassed through a home rule petition.

“I don’t know who, I don’t care, but it’s politically advantageous to somebody to not have a special election as well,” FitzGerald said.

Councilor Julia Mejia had stated earlier in the debate that she typically opposes special elections, because they “only favor special interests and people who have power and political brokers behind them.”

Breadon, who co-sponsored the home rule petition, later blocked Murphy’s push for an immediate vote on a dueling measure that called for the “prompt scheduling of a special election to fill the vacancy in District 7.”

In her objection, Breadon called Murphy’s resolution “moot,” given that Fernandes Anderson has not yet resigned, nor has there been a notice of vacancy for her District 7 seat. Such notice is needed to trigger a special election.

Louijeune said that may well be the case with their home rule petition in the end. It would waive a special election in the event that Fernandes Anderson resigns more than 180 days before the general election, as required by the city charter.

If Fernandes Anderson does not resign by May 8, the home rule petition would be “a moot point,” Louijeune said. She argued, however, that moving forward with the legislation was still necessary.

“This is about us being proactive and providing certainty to the residents of District 7 and to everyone involved about the timeline for what elections would be,” Louijeune said.

Louijeune and Breadon have stated that their proposal is community-driven, in terms of community members and leaders wanting to forgo a special election, which would hypothetically occur just weeks before the September preliminary.

At least one declared District 7 candidate prefers that a special election be held.

“District 7 cannot afford to be without a voice,” Said Ahmed, a youth track coach and candidate, said in a statement. “Our community is facing urgent challenges, from housing insecurity, to underfunded education, to public safety …Blocking this election would silence the very people who rely on their city councilor the most.”

The home rule petition has also led to questions about why the Council is taking a different approach than it did two years ago when a resignation by Kenzie Bok around the same time led to a special election for the District 8 seat she vacated.

Bok resigned from the Council in April 2023 to lead the Boston Housing Authority. She was appointed to that role by Mayor Michelle Wu.

Councilor Sharon Durkan, who worked for Wu as a political fundraiser and received her endorsement in the race, was tapped to serve the remainder of Bok’s term after winning a special election three months later, in July 2023.

“Thank you all so much for mentioning my election so many times,” Durkan said. “I really was proud to have gotten elected in that special election.”

Durkan said that while she sees the way she was elected as “legitimate,” she favors waiving a special election in this case, based on feedback from the city and state officials who represent the neighborhoods that encompass District 7.

Mayoral candidate Josh Kraft on Tuesday called the disparate approach by the Council a “flagrant double standard” that should fall on Wu, who has declined to take a position, to explain.

Breadon and Louijeune have mentioned that circumstances are different this year, with a city Elections Department under receivership, Secretary of State William Galvin opposing a special election, and uncertainty around when Fernandes Anderson will resign.

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The similar timeline was raised by Murphy again on Wednesday. The inconsistency prompted some councilors to suggest that the body should move to amend the city charter, by extending the 180-day rule, for example, or eliminating a preliminary in the event of a special election.

“I’d like for whatever choice we make to be the standard going forward,” Council Vice President Brian Worrell said. “I want more consistency in the choices we make, and I think that goes into looking to change this charter … I don’t think what we should do is continue to keep changing the standards with one-offs.”

Worrell, like the majority of the City Council, indicated their support for the home rule petition. Councilors Murphy, FitzGerald and Ed Flynn have been the lone dissenting voices thus far.

If approved by the Council, the petition would also need to be passed by the state Legislature to take effect.

City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)