[Amended 1-24-1979 by Res. No. 149; 5-28-1980 by Res. No. 159; 5-28-1980 by Res. No. 160; 5-12-1993 by Res. No. 238; 3-9-1994 by Res. No.
245; 11-10-2010 by Res. No. 382; 8-8-2012 by Res. No. 400
Every person who is a citizen of the United States, is at least 18 years of age, and is registered in accordance with § 42-6 of the City Code shall be a duly qualified voter of the City. Every duly qualified voter of the City shall be entitled to vote at any or all City elections.
The Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council shall appoint
at least three resident and qualified voters of the City to serve
as a Board of Supervisors of Elections. The Board shall appoint one
of its members as Chairman. The term of the members shall be four
years staggered. Any vacancy during the unexpired term of a member
shall be filled by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council
for the remainder of the term. All members shall serve until their
successors are appointed and qualified. No member of the Board shall
hold or be candidates for any elective office during their term of
office. The compensation of the City Board shall be determined by
the Council.
Any member of the Board of Supervisors of Elections may be removed
for good cause by the Council. Before removal, the member of the Board
of Supervisors of Elections to be removed shall be given a written
copy of the charges against him and shall have a public hearing on
them before the Council, if he so requests, within 10 days after receiving
the written copy of the charges against him. Good cause, as used herein,
shall mean any cause that could result in the removal of the Mayor
or a Council member from office.
The duties of the Board of Supervisors of Elections shall be set forth in Chapter 42 of the City Code, as the same shall be amended from time to time.
The Council shall have the power by ordinance to conduct elections and to govern all aspects thereof, which provisions shall be set forth in Chapter 42 of the City Code, as the same shall be amended from time to time.
[Amended 7-10-2013 by Res. No. 415]
No person shall be a candidate for any public office in the
government of the City unless he or she shall file a certificate of
nomination with the City Clerk on or before 5:00 p.m. on the first
Monday in April next preceding the election. The certificate of nomination
shall contain the person's name, address, the name of the office the
person is seeking, a statement that the person is qualified to be
a candidate for that office and the signature of the person. No person
shall file a nomination to more than one elective City office nor
hold more than one elective City office at one time.
Every candidate for the office of Mayor, at the time of filing
his or her certificate of nomination, as set forth above, shall pay
to the City Clerk the sum of $15. Every candidate for Council member,
at the time of filing his or her certificate of nomination, as set
forth above, shall pay to the City Clerk the sum of $10.
It shall be the duty of the Board of Supervisors of Elections,
or its authorized designee to provide for each special and general
election a suitable place or places for voting. The ballots and/or
voting machines shall show the name of each candidate nominated for
elective office in accordance with the provisions of this Charter,
arranged in alphabetical order by office with no party designation
of any kind. The Board shall keep the polls open from 7:00 a.m. to
7:00 p.m. on election days, or for longer if the Council requires
it.
A.
On the third Wednesday in June in every other even-numbered year,
the qualified voters of the City shall elect one person as Mayor and
three persons as Council members to serve for terms of four years.
B.
On the third Wednesday in June in every other even-number year in
which the qualified voters are not voting to elect one person as Mayor
and three persons as Council members, the qualified voters of the
City shall elect two persons as Council members.
The City Clerk shall, by publication in one or more newspapers
published in the City of Crisfield at least 10 days prior to holding
any general or special election, give notice thereof, stating the
object of said election and the time and place and hours of the same.
Challengers and watchers representing any candidate in any primary
or City election shall be allowed to be present at any voting precinct
during the voting and counting of the ballots as provided by law with
respect to general elections.
Within 48 hours after the closing of the polls, the Board of
Supervisors of Elections shall determine the vote cast for each candidate
and shall certify the results of the election to the Clerk-Treasurer
of Crisfield who shall record the results in the minutes of the Council.
The candidate for Mayor who received the highest number of votes shall
be declared Mayor. The candidates for Council member with the highest
number of votes shall be declared elected as Council member to the
number of offices being filled. All ballots and other records used
in any town elections shall be preserved for at least six months from
the date of the election.
In case of a vacancy for any reason in the Council, the Council,
within four weeks of the occurrence of the vacancy, shall elect some
qualified person to fill such vacancy for the unexpired term. In case
of a vacancy for any reason in the office of Mayor, the Council, within
four weeks of the occurrence of the vacancy, shall elect some qualified
person to serve as Acting Mayor for the unexpired term. Any vacancies
in either the Council or the office of Mayor shall be filled by a
majority vote of all the members of the Council. In case the Mayor
or any Councilman shall fail to qualify within five days of notification
of election, a vacancy shall exist to be filled as provided in this
section. The Council shall immediately certify any vote so taken to
the City Clerk. The City Clerk shall record the vote and shall forthwith
notify the person so elected, who shall, within five days of notice,
qualify in the manner as regularly elected City officials.
In a general or special election, a recount may be requested
in accordance with the State Election Article. A recount in such an
election shall be conducted in the manner provided in the State Election
Article.
Any person who fails to perform any duty required of him or her under the provisions of this article or Chapter 42 of the Code, in any manner, willfully or corruptly violates any of the provisions of this article or Chapter 42 of the Code, or does anything that will or will tend to affect fraudulently any registration, nomination, or City election shall be referred to the County's State's Attorney's office for prosecution. Any person who is convicted shall cease to hold office or employment with the City.
