All regular and special elections held by the City under the provisions of this Charter shall be in accordance with the general laws of the State of’ Texas as now existing, or as hereinafter amended, for the holding of municipal elections.
Each election shall be held and notice shall be given in accordance with the general laws of the State of Texas as now existing, or as hereinafter amended, for the holding of municipal elections, at such places as the City Commission may direct. Such election shall be given, and the election officers and supervisors appointed as provided by governing laws relative to the holding of regular municipal elections. The presiding officers and judges must be qualified voters in the City. The City Commission shall provide for their compensation, and by ordinance regulate and define their powers and duties. No irregularity in the notice herein provided or [for] shall invalidate such election.
(Amended by Ordinance 13-31 at an election held on November 5, 2013, amendment no. 5)
The City Commission may at any time, by resolution or ordinance call a special election to be held within the City for the purpose of voting upon any proposition to be decided by the electors of the City, and of which notice shall be given and the election officers and supervisors appointed as provided for by the general laws of the State of Texas as now existing, or as hereinafter amended, relating to special municipal elections. The presiding officers and judges of such special election must be qualified voters in the City. The City Commission shall provide for their compensation, and by ordinance regulate and define their powers and duties.
(Amended by Ordinance 13-31 at an election held on November 5, 2013, amendment no. 6)
The names of all candidates for office, except such as may have withdrawn, died or become ineligible, shall be printed on the official ballots without party designation. The order on the ballot of the names of the candidates for each respective place shall be determined by lot in a drawing to be held under the supervision of the City Secretary, at which drawing each candidate or his named representative shall have a right to be present.
Each ballot shall contain the names of candidates running for those respective places subject to elections for the election year involved, and each qualified voter shall vote for not more than one candidate for each place to be filled.
If no candidate receives a majority of all the votes cast for a place on the Ballot, the City Commission shall immediately upon declaring the official results of the election order a run-off election for each place to which no one was elected. Said run-off election shall be held on the fourth (4th) Saturday following the regular election and notice shall be given in accordance with the general laws of the State of Texas as now existing, or as hereinafter amended, for the holding of municipal elections; and in such run-off election the two candidates who received, in the preceding election, the highest number of votes for each place to which no one was elected, shall be voted on again by the qualified voters, and the candidate who received the majority of the votes cast for each such office in the run-off election shall be elected to such office.
(Amended by Ordinance 13-31 at an election held on November 5, 2013, amendment no. 7)
Any qualified person who desires to become a candidate for election to a place on the City Commission shall file with the City Secretary an application in accordance with the general laws of the State of Texas as now existing, or as hereinafter amended, for the holding of municipal elections, for his name to appear on the ballot. Such application shall contain a sworn statement by the candidate that he is fully qualified under governing laws and the provisions of this Charter to hold the office he seeks.
A candidate must designate the place on the ballot for which said person is a candidate. At least thirty (30) days prior to the election day a candidate may withdraw from a place and file for another place.
(Amended by Ordinance 13-31 at an election held on November 5, 2013, amendment no. 8)
The returns of every municipal election shall be delivered by the election judges to the City Secretary as soon as practicable and not later than 24 hours after the closing of the polls. The City Commission shall canvass the returns and declare the official results of the election as soon as practicable and not later than 54 hours after the closing of the polls. Poll watchers shall be allowed to observe all aspects of the election including any tabulation of the results prior to official canvass of returns, when considered necessary, a poll watcher may file protest during the election, as well as after the election.
In the event that any elective officer of the City shall fail to qualify within 15 days after his election has been duly certified and the result thereof declared, unless prevented by good and sufficient cause, such office shall be declared vacant and a special election shall be called by the City Commission for the purpose of filling such vacancy, according to Section 2.06 (C.) and as specified elsewhere in this Charter.
Each person elected or appointed to office in this City shall, before entering upon the duties of such office, take and subscribe the official oath prescribed by the State Constitution, and shall give such bond and security for the faithful discharge of his duties as may be required by the ordinance of the City.