The regular election for the choice of members of the council as provided in Article II, Section 12, shall be held every year as prescribed by State law. The council may by ordinance or resolution order a special election, fix the time for holding same, and provide all means for holding such special election.
The council shall make all regulations which it considers needful or desirable, not inconsistent with this Charter or the laws of the State of Texas, for the conduct of municipal elections, for the prevention of fraud in such elections, and for the recount of ballots in case of doubt or fraud. Municipal elections shall be conducted by the election authorities appointed by the city council, who shall also have power to make such regulations not inconsistent with this Charter, with any regulations made by the council or the laws of the State of Texas.
Any qualified voter of the city who is otherwise qualified may have his name printed upon the official ballot for the particular office at any election by filing his sworn application with the city secretary at least 45 days prior to the election date and having posted the required filing fee, to be fixed by the council, provided it shall not exceed the sum of $10.00. The filing fees shall be used to defray the cost of the election and said fees shall be prorated and any surplus shall be refunded to said candidates.
The full names of all candidates for the council as herein before provided, except such as may have withdrawn, died or become ineligible, shall be printed on the official ballots. If two candidates with the same surnames, or with names so similar as to be likely to cause confusion are nominated, the addresses of their place of residence shall be placed with their names on the ballots. The order of the names on the ballot shall be determined by lot.
All city elections shall be governed, except as otherwise provided by the Charter, by the laws of the State of Texas governing general and municipal elections, so far as same may be applicable thereto; and in event there should be any failure of the general laws or this charter to provide for some feature of the city election, then the council shall have the power to provide for such deficiency and no informalities in conducting a city election shall invalidate the same, if it be conducted fairly and in substantial compliance with the general laws where applicable, and the Charter and ordinances of the city.
Returns of the elections, general and special, shall be made by the election officers to the council as soon as possible and not more than five days following said election, at which time the council shall canvass and declare the results of such election.