HARRISBURG — The leader of the Pennsylvania House Democratic caucus said Thursday the Republican speaker should schedule special elections for six vacant House seats that have been in limbo since the state Supreme Court threw out the legislative redistricting plan last month.

The letter from Minority Leader Frank Dermody to Speaker Sam Smith said there are more than 300,000 Pennsylvanians who have been without representation for more than a month. He noted that budget deliberations will be held in the near future.

“This will not only aid the smooth operation of the House, but it will restore representation to the residents of these six districts,” wrote Dermody, D-Allegheny.

A spokesman for Smith, R-Jefferson, said a final redistricting plan has not been approved, and cited the state’s Election Code, which allows Smith to hold off on scheduling special elections under the normal time constraints for those circumstances.

Dermody argued the seats should be filled during the April 24 primary, minimizing the number of House session days those districts would not be represented, and saving taxpayers the cost of holding the elections on another day.

The open seats were most recently held by Democrats Chelsa Wagner of Allegheny County, Josh Shapiro of Montgomery County and Kenyatta Johnson and Jewell Williams of Philadelphia, as well as Republicans Doug Reichley of Lehigh County and Dennis O’Brien of Philadelphia.

All six were elected to other offices in November.

Dermody spokesman Bill Patton said the five-member Legislative Reapportionment Commission has scheduled a meeting for Wednesday and could vote on new district maps at that time.

Counting the vacancies, Republicans control the House, 112-91.