The regular general City election shall be held on the first
Tuesday following the first Monday in November in each odd-numbered
year.
On the sixth Tuesday preceding every regular general City election
there shall be a preliminary election for the purpose of nominating
candidates.
All elections for City offices shall be nonpartisan and election
ballots shall be printed without any party mark, emblem, or other
designation whatsoever.
The order in which names of candidates appear on the ballot
for each office shall be determined by a drawing, by lot, conducted
by the City Clerk, which shall be open to the public.
The territory of the City shall be divided into six wards so
established as to consist of compact and contiguous territory, bounded
insofar as possible by the center line of known streets or ways or
by other well-defined limits. Each such ward shall be composed of
voting precincts otherwise established in accordance with general
laws. The City Council shall from time to time, but at least once
in each 10 years, review such wards to insure their uniformity in
number of inhabitants.
Except as expressly provided in this Charter and authorized
by law, all City elections shall be governed by the laws of the commonwealth
relating to the right to vote, the registration of voters, the nomination
of candidates, the conduct of preliminary, general and special 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.
The City Council or the School Committee shall hold a public
hearing and act with respect to every petition which is addressed
to it, which is signed by 100 voters, or more, and which seeks the
passage of a measure. The hearing shall be held by the City Council
or the School Committee, or, in either case, by a committee or subcommittee
thereof, and the action by the City Council or the School Committee
shall be taken not later than three months after the petition is filed
with the Clerk of the Council or the Secretary of the School Committee
as may be appropriate. Hearings on two or more petitions filed under
this section may be held at the same time and place. The Clerk of
the Council or the Secretary of the School Committee shall mail notice
of the hearing to the 10 persons whose names appear first on the petition
at least 48 hours before the hearing. Notice, by publication, of all
such hearings shall be at public expense.
None of the following shall be subject to the initiative or
the referendum procedures:
(1) Proceedings relating to the internal organization or operation of
the City Council or of the School Committee;
(2) An emergency measure adopted in conformity with the Charter;
(3) The City budget or the School Committee budget as a whole;
(5) Any appropriation for the payment of the City's debt or debt service;
(6) An appropriation of funds to implement a collective bargaining agreement;
(7) Proceedings relating to the election, appointment, removal, discharge,
employment, promotion, transfer, demotion, or other personnel action;
(8) Any proceedings repealing or rescinding a measure or part thereof
which is protested by referendum procedures; and
(9) Any proceedings providing for the submission or referral to the voters
at an election.
The City Council may of its own motion, and shall at the request
of the School Committee if a measure originates with that body and
pertains to affairs under its jurisdiction, submit to the voters at
any regular City election for adoption or rejection any measure in
the same manner and with the same force and effect as are hereby provided
for submission by petitions of voters.
If two or more measures passed at the same election contain
conflicting provisions, only the one receiving the greatest number
of affirmative votes shall take effect.