A preliminary election to nominate candidates for mayor, councilor-at-large,
ward city councilor, school committee members and city clerk shall
be held on the third Tuesday in September in each odd-numbered year
in which the candidates are to be elected, but the city clerk may,
with the approval of the city council, reschedule the preliminary
election to the fourth Tuesday in September to avoid a conflict with
any civil or religious holiday. Whenever a special election to fill
a vacancy is to be held, a preliminary election shall be conducted,
if necessary, 28 days before the date established for the special
election; provided, however, that a preliminary election to fill a
vacancy for ward councilor shall be held only in the affected ward.
The regular city election shall be held on the first Tuesday
following the first Monday in November in each odd-numbered year.
The order in which names of candidates for each office appear
on the ballot shall be determined by a drawing, by lot, conducted
by the city clerk not later than seven days after the certification
of the preliminary election results. In the event that there is no
preliminary election in advance of the regular city election, the
drawing shall be conducted on the fourth Tuesday in September prior
to the regular city election. In the event that there is no preliminary
election in advance of a special city election, the drawing shall
be conducted on the sixth Tuesday prior to the special city election.
The drawing shall be open to the public.
All elections for city offices shall be nonpartisan and election
ballots shall be printed without any party mark, emblem or other political
designation.
The territory of the city shall be divided into seven wards
by the city clerk to consist of nearly an equal number of inhabitants
as it is possible to achieve based on compact and contiguous territory,
bounded as far as possible by the center line of known streets or
ways or by other well-defined limits. Each ward shall be composed
of voting precincts established under the General Laws. The city council
shall review these wards to ensure uniformity in the number of inhabitants
at least once every 10 years.
Except as otherwise expressly provided in this charter and authorized
by law, all city elections shall be governed by the General Laws relating
to the right to vote, the registration of voters, the nomination of
candidates, voting places, the conduct of preliminary, regular and
special city elections, the submission of charters, charter amendments
and other propositions to the voters, the counting of votes, the recounting
of votes and the determination of results.