The City shall consist of one ward and one election precinct. The Commission may, by ordinance, establish convenient precincts.
At each regular City election, there shall be elected from the City at large the number of Commissioners whose respective term expires at that time. The term of office for each Commissioner shall be four years and shall commence the Monday next following the date of the regular City election at which each Commissioner was elected.
No person who is in default to the City shall be elected or appointed to any City office. The election or appointment of such a person shall be void. No person shall be eligible for any elective City office unless the person is a qualified City elector and has been a City resident for at least one year immediately before the election at which the person is a candidate for office.
A regular City election shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each odd numbered year.
The general election laws of the State shall apply to and control all procedures relating to the City election, except as such general election laws relate to political parties or partisan procedure, and except as otherwise provided in this Charter. The election of all City officers shall be on a non-partisan basis.
Special City elections shall be held when called by resolution of the Commission and when scheduled by the County Election Scheduling Committee pursuant to State law. Any resolution calling a special City election shall set forth the purpose of the election. No more than two special City elections shall be held in any one fiscal year.
[1]
Editor's Note: Original Sec. 3.7, Primary City elections, was repealed at an election held 11-2-2004.
Notice of the time and place of holding any City election, of the officers to be elected and of the questions to be voted upon shall be given by the Clerk in the same manner and at the same time as provided in the general election laws of the State.
The polls of all elections shall be opened and closed at the time prescribed by law for the opening and closing of polls at State elections, subject to any statutory right of the Commission to adjust the hours.
All candidates for a City elective office shall be nominated by petition. Each candidate's petition must be signed by at least 15 but not more than 40 qualified registered City electors. No person shall sign a greater number of petitions for any one City office than there are candidates to be elected to that office at that election. If a person signs more petitions than there are candidates to be elected to that office, the signature of that person shall be invalidated on all petitions. Nomination petitions shall be filed with the Clerk not later than 4:00 p.m. on the twelfth Tuesday prior to the date of the City election. At least one week but not more than three weeks before the last day permitted for filing nomination petitions, the Clerk shall publish a notice of that last day and of the number of persons to be elected to each office.
[1]
Editor's Note: Original Sec. 3.11, Elimination of primary City elections, was repealed at an election held 11-2-2004.
[1]
Editor's Note: Original Sec. 3.12, Purpose of primary City elections, was repealed at an election held 11-2-2004.
The City's petition form shall be substantially similar to that designated by the Secretary of State for the nomination of non-partisan judicial officers. A supply of official petition forms shall be maintained by the Clerk.
The Clerk shall accept only nomination petitions which conform with the forms provided and maintained by the Clerk and which, considered together, contain the required number of valid signatures for candidates with the qualifications required for elective City office. When a petition is filed by a person other than the candidate, it may be accepted only when accompanied by the written consent of the candidate. Promptly after the filing of a petition, the Clerk shall notify in writing any candidate whose petition is then known to not meet the requirements of the Charter; however, the Clerk's failure to so notify any candidate shall not prevent a final determination that the petition does not meet those requirements. Within five days after the last date for filing petitions, the Clerk shall make the final determination as to the validity and sufficiency of each nomination petition, and whether or not each candidate has the qualifications required for the elective City office. The Clerk shall write the final determination on the face of each petition and shall notify in writing the candidate whose name appears on each petition.
An Election Commission is created, consisting of the Clerk, the Treasurer and the Superintendent. The Clerk shall be the chair. The Election Commission shall have charge of all activities and duties required of it by State law relating to the conduct of City elections. In any case where election procedure is in doubt, the Election Commission shall prescribe the procedure to be followed.
The form, printing and numbering of ballots, or the preparation of any voting machines, used in any City election shall conform as nearly as possible to that prescribed by the general election laws of the State. However, no party designation or emblem shall appear.
A board of canvassers shall be established and shall operate in accordance with the requirements of the general election laws of the state.
The votes cast at any City election for any office or any proposition may be recounted in accordance with the general election laws of the State.
Any elected City officer may be recalled from office by City electors in a manner provided by the general laws of the State. A vacancy created by the recall of any elected City officer shall be filled according to the general laws of the State.