The commission 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 commission or the laws of the State of Texas.
Any qualified elector 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 mayor at least thirty days prior to the election day.
The full names of all candidates for mayor or the commission as hereinbefore provided, except such as may have withdrawn, died or become ineligible, shall be printed on the official ballots without party designations.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 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.
At the regular municipal election the candidates for the office of Commissioner, to the number to be elected, and for the office of the mayor, who shall have received the majority of votes cast in such election shall be declared elected.
Should any candidate fail to receive a majority of votes at the regular election for the office for which he is a candidate, the Commission shall order a runoff election to be held on a date as prescribed by the Texas Election Code, at which runoff election the names only of the two candidates, receiving the highest number of votes at the regular election, for the office for which they were candidates, shall be printed on the ballot and submitted to the qualified voters for election, and the candidate receiving the majority of votes at such special election for the place of office for which he was a candidate, shall be declared duly elected.
(Charter Prop. No. 15, ratified 6/7/2022)
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 commission 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. All elections shall be held in accordance with the laws and statutes of the State of Texas.
(Charter Amnd. No. 10, ratified 5/1/93)
Return of elections, general and special, shall be made by the election of officers to city commission on the first regular meeting next following said election at which time the commission shall canvass and declare the results of said election.
(Ordinance 790, sec. 1(c), 2/2/87)