All meetings of the qualified voters of said city for the purpose of voting at elections of national, state, county, district and municipal officers, and for other municipal or legal purposes, shall be called by order of the City Council, and, so far as applicable, in the manner provided by law for calling elections in cities. (MGL c. 54, § 63.)
The annual municipal election shall take place
on the first Tuesday of November, and the municipal year shall begin
at ten o'clock in the morning on the first Monday of January next
following.
[1]
Editor's Note: Chapter 219, Acts of 1917,
changed the election date to the first Tuesday after the first Monday
of December; Chapter 271, Acts of 1941, provided for nonpartisan elections;
Chapter 25, Acts of 1943 changed elections to the first Tuesday after
the first Monday in November; and Chapter 512, Acts of 2008, changed
the election day to the first Tuesday of November.
At such annual municipal election the qualified
voters shall give in their votes by ballot for Mayor, City Clerk,
City Treasurer, members of the City Council and of the School Committee,
or of such of them as are to be elected, and the person receiving
the highest number of votes for any office shall be deemed and declared
to be elected to such office, and whenever two or more persons are
to be elected to the same office the several persons up to the number
required to be chosen receiving the highest number of votes shall
be deemed and declared to be elected.
[1]
Editor's Note: Chapter 332, Acts of 1901,
changed the City Clerk's term to three years; Chapter 117, Acts of
1916, changed the City Treasurer's term to three years; Chapter 144,
Acts of 1917, changed the Mayor's term to two years; Chapter 271,
Acts of 1941, provided for nonpartisan elections and changed the City
Clerk's, City Treasurer's and School Committeemen at large's terms
to four years; Chapter 25, Acts of 1943, provided for two-year terms
for Aldermen and Ward School Committeemen; and Chapter 146, Acts of
1950, provided for the City Clerk's tenure of office.
If it shall appear that there is no choice of
a Mayor, or if the person elected Mayor shall refuse to accept the
office, or shall die before qualifying, or if a vacancy in said office
shall occur within the first year of the mayoral term, the City Council
shall forthwith call for a new election and the same proceedings shall
be had in all respects as are hereinbefore provided for the election
of Mayor. Upon the election, the person so elected shall assume office
and be sworn to the faithful discharge of their duties, immediately,
to complete the unexpired term. In case a vacancy in the office of
the Mayor shall occur within the second year of the mayoral term,
the President of the City Council shall assume the duties of the office
of the Mayor. Thereafter, upon the certification by the City Clerk
at the biennial election, the person so elected Mayor shall immediately
assume the duties of Mayor for the remainder of the unexpired term
and on the first Monday of January next ensuing be sworn in to the
office of Mayor to begin their term of office. If the full number
of members of the City Council has not been elected, or if a vacancy
in the office of City Councilor shall occur more than six months previous
to the expiration of the municipal year, the City Council may forthwith
elect some person or persons to fill the vacancy or vacancies until
the next municipal election. In case of a vacancy in the office of
City Clerk or City Treasurer the City Council shall elect a City Clerk
or City Treasurer to fill such vacancy until the next municipal year,
and in case of the temporary absence or disability of the City Clerk
or of the City Treasurer the City Council shall elect a City Clerk
or City Treasurer Pro Tempore. In each of such cases the City Clerk
or City Treasurer shall be sworn and shall perform the duties of the
office to which he is elected.
[1]
Editor's Note: Chapter 132, Acts of 1898, changed the procedure for filling vacancies on the City Council; Chapter 332, Acts of 1901 (MGL c. 41, §§ 12 through 14) provided for filling of vacancy in the office of the City Clerk; Chapter 172, Acts of 1930, provided for the filling of vacancies in the office of the City Treasurer and other city offices; Chapter 146, Acts of 1950, provided for the City Clerk's tenure of office; and Chapter 512, Acts of 2008, changed the procedure for filling vacancies in the office of Mayor.
General meetings of the citizens qualified to
vote may from time to time be held, according to the right secured
by the constitution of the commonwealth, and all such meetings may,
and upon the request in writing of fifty qualified voters, setting
forth the purposes thereof, shall be duly called by the City Council.
The City Council may, when no convenient wardroom
for holding the meeting of the citizens of any ward can be had within
the territorial limits of such ward, appoint and direct in the warrant
for calling the meeting of such ward that the meeting be held in some
convenient place within the limits of an adjacent ward of the city,
and for such purposes the place so assigned shall be deemed and taken
to be a part of the ward in which the election is held.
