The general election for the city shall be held each year on
the uniform election day for municipal elections in May as established
by the Texas Election Code. The Council may, in accordance with State
law, order special elections. All general and special elections shall
be held and conducted in accordance with the laws of the State of
Texas and in accordance with the charter and ordinances and resolutions
adopted by the City Council for the conduct of such elections.
(Prop. No. 5, 1992; Prop. No. 8,
2010; Prop. D, 2023)
Except as otherwise provided in this charter, all city elections
shall be governed by the applicable provisions of the Election Code
of the State of Texas, as now or hereafter amended. The Council shall
have the power to make such additional regulations as may be necessary.
(Prop. No. 8, 2010)
Any qualified person may have his or her name placed on the
official ballot as a candidate for Mayor or Councilmember at any election
held for the purpose of electing a Mayor or Councilmember by filing
with the City Secretary, in accordance with the Texas Election Code,
a sworn application on a form provided by the City Secretary in conformance
[with the] Texas Election Code or an [any] successor statute thereto.
In a general election, a vote for a write-in candidate may not
be counted unless the candidate’s name appears on the list of
write-in candidates.
(Prop. No. 9, 2000; Prop. No. 8,
2010; Prop. No. 1, 2013)
The full names of all candidates for the Council as hereinbefore
provided, except such as may have withdrawn, died or become ineligible,
shall be printed on the official ballots without party designations.
If two (2) candidates with the same surnames or names so similar as
to be likely to cause confusion are nominated, the addresses of their
places of residence shall be placed with their names on the ballot.
The order of the names on the ballot shall be determined by lot. The
official ballots shall be printed not less than twenty (20) days before
the date of the election.
(Repealed by Prop. No. 1, 1970)
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 of this
charter to provide for some feature of the city elections, then the
City 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 any election, general or special, shall be made by
the election officers to the City Council in accordance with state
law, or as soon thereafter as possible, when the Council shall meet
at the customary time and place for its meetings, and canvass the
returns, declare the results, and issue a call for a run-off election,
if necessary.
(Prop. No. 10, 1984; Prop. No. 10,
2000; Prop. No. 12, 2005; Prop.
No. 1, 2013)
