An empty seat in the Maryland Senate remains unfilled and a deadline to make the appointment is closing in.

Del. Craig Zucker, D-Montgomery County, has been nominated by the Democratic Central Committee to fill the vacancy caused by the December retirement of Sen. Karen Montgomery. A stroke of the pen by Gov. Larry Hogan would make the appointment official but that has yet to happen.

The delay in the appointment has caused the Senate to hold off on an attempt to override Hogan’s veto o a bill restoring voting rights to convicted felons still serving parole or or probation. The Senate requires 29 votes for an override. Montgomery was the 29 vote last year when that bill passed.

Douglass Mayer, a spokesman for Hogan, declined to elaborate on the delay other than to say Hogan is “doing his due diligence” and would make an announcement soon.

Hogan has 15 days from the day the central committee makes its recommendation to make the decision. That deadline runs out in two days.

In similar circumstances with Republican vacancies, Hogan has sent word back that he would like more than one name. Mayer said hogan has no plans to do that this time with the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee.

Mayer could not provide a reason for the delay but said the pending veto override vote, which can take place at any time during the 90-day legislative session, was not a factor.