The regular election for the choice of members of the council as provided in Article 3, Section 3.01, shall be held each year on the date specified for such general election by the laws of the State of Texas. Voting shall take place at one centralized polling place for the general election or any runoff election, with the location of such polling place to be determined by the City Council in the ordinance calling for the election. Any runoff election shall be held on a date selected by the City Council for such runoff election as provided in the General Election Statutes of the State of Texas. The City Council may by resolution order such special election for a runoff as provided by the laws of the State of Texas, fix the time for holding same, and provide all means for holding such special elections.
The City 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 appointed election authorities, who shall also have power to make such regulations not inconsistent with this Charter, with any regulations made by the City Council or the laws of the State of Texas.
Any qualified elector of the city who is otherwise qualified may have their name printed upon the official ballot for the office of councilmember at any election by filing their application, together with the loyalty oath required of state officials, with the Mayor, City Secretary or City Manager in accordance with the Texas Election Code. If, after the filing deadline has expired no qualified candidate has filed the required application to run for a position that is open to election for councilmember the vacant position may be filled immediately after the May election by appointment by the City Council as provided for in Section 3.04 of this Charter.
The full names of all candidates for the City Council as hereinbefore provided, except such as may have withdrawn, or become ineligible, shall be printed on the official ballots without party designation. If two (2) candidates with the same surnames, or with 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 by the City Council.
At the regular municipal election the candidates for the district positions of councilmember shall be elected by a majority of the votes cast for such position. The persons receiving the majority of such votes cast in such election shall be declared elected. At the regular municipal election the candidates for the “at large” positions shall be elected by plurality of the votes cast for such position. The three (3) persons receiving the most of such votes cast in such election shall be declared elected.
Returns of elections, general and special, shall be made by the election officers to the person acting as City Secretary not later than the second day after the holding of any election. The City Council shall meet not later than ten (10) days after the holding of said election, shall canvass the returns and declare the results of such election.
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 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.