The City’s general election shall be held annually on the uniform election day in May as prescribed by the Texas Election Code, at which time officers will be elected to fill those offices which become vacant that year. The City Council shall fix the hours and place for holding such elections. All candidates for the City Council shall file for one place and shall be elected to that place by obtaining a majority of the votes cast.
The Council shall make all regulations considered to be necessary or desirable which are not inconsistent with this Charter or the laws of the State of Texas, for the conduct of municipal elections, or for the prevention of fraud, and shall make provisions for recount of the ballots in case of doubt or fraud. The Council will appoint election officials who will conduct the municipal elections consistent with this Charter, regulations made by the Council and the laws of the State of Texas. The Council shall provide for the compensation of all election officials in City Elections and for all other expenses of holding such elections.
Any qualified person who desires to become a candidate for election to the office of Mayor or City Councilmember shall file an application for a place on the ballot with the City Secretary as provided by the Texas Election Code.
Candidates for the offices of Mayor and City Councilmembers shall pay a filing fee for the placement of their names on the election ballot, such fee and an alternate procedure to payment of the fee, shall be prescribed by ordinance.
The official ballot shall be drawn up by the City Secretary and approved by the City Attorney and will contain the names of all candidates for office, except those who may have been withdrawn, deceased or become ineligible. The ballot shall have the designation of the particular office (Mayor or Councilmember) and under the appropriate designation shall appear the applicable place numbers. Names will be placed under each place without party designation and position will be determined by a drawing conducted by the City Secretary.
Returns of all municipal elections, both general and special, shall be made in accordance with the Texas Election Code, at which time the Council shall canvass the votes, declare the results of such election, with notification of election to the candidate elected. The candidate for Mayor who receives the majority of ballot votes, by qualified voters at the election, shall be declared elected. The candidates for election to the places of Councilmember, who receive the majority of ballot votes for each place, cast by qualified voters voting at the election, shall be declared elected. The results of said election shall be posted in the City Hall as soon as they are declared official.
The City Council shall be the judge of the election and qualifications of its own members and of the Mayor, but the decisions of the Council in any case shall be subject to review by the Courts.
(Ordinance 2324-23 adopted 7/18/2023)
In the event no candidate receives a majority of all votes cast for all the candidates for an office at such election, the Council shall order a runoff election to be held not earlier than twenty (20) days nor later than forty-five (45) days after the final canvass of the regular election, or such other time period as may be prescribed by state law. At which time, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes for any such office in the first election shall again be placed on the ballot for the runoff election. In the event of a tie between two candidates for any office at said second election, they shall cast lots to determine who shall be elected to such office.
(Ordinance 2324-23 adopted 7/18/2023)
The Council may, by ordinance or resolution, call such special elections as are authorized by state law and this Charter, fix the time and place of holding same and provide all means for holding such special elections.