a) 
The regular municipal election shall be held on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November in each odd-numbered year.
b) 
A preliminary election for the purpose of nominating candidates shall be held on the third Tuesday in September in every odd-numbered year, but the city clerk may, with the approval of the council, reschedule this election to the second or fourth Tuesday to avoid a conflict with any civil or religious holiday. Whenever a special election to fill a vacancy in the office of mayor or councilor at-large is to be held, a preliminary election shall be conducted thirty-five (35) days preceding the date established for the special election.
c) 
Signature Requirements: The number of voter signatures required to place the name of a candidate on the official ballot to be used at an election shall be as follows:
i. 
for the office of mayor, not less than five hundred (500) signatures, and at least twenty-five (25) signatures must be certified from each district;
ii. 
for the office of councilor at-large, not less than one hundred fifty (150) signatures, and at least ten (10) signatures must be certified from each district;
iii. 
for the office of district councilor or school committee member, not less than fifty (50) signatures, all of which shall be from the district from which the nomination is sought; and,
iv. 
for the offices of, library trustee or cemetery trustee, not less than fifty (50) signatures.
d) 
Financial Disclosure Requirement: For candidates for the office of mayor, councilor-at-large, district councilor and school committee member, a statement of financial disclosure must be filed as required by Article IX, section 18 at the same time nomination signatures are due to the city clerk.
e) 
Determination of Candidates: The persons twice in number of the seat(s) to be filled receiving at a preliminary election the highest number of votes for nomination for any office shall be the sole candidates for that office whose names shall be printed on the official ballots to be used at the regular general municipal election at which such office is to be voted upon, and no acceptance of a nomination shall be necessary to its validity. If two or more persons are to be elected to the same office at such regular election, the several persons, in number equal to twice the number so to be elected, receiving at such preliminary election the highest number of votes for nomination for that office shall be the sole candidates for that office whose names shall be printed on the official ballots. If the preliminary election results in a tie vote among candidates for nomination receiving the lowest number of votes which, but for said tie vote, would entitle a person receiving the same to have his or her name printed on the official ballots for the election, all candidates participating in said tie vote shall have their names printed on the official ballots, although in consequence thereof there be printed on such ballots the names of candidates exceeding twice the number to be elected.
f) 
Condition Making Preliminary Unnecessary: If, at the expiration of time for filing statements of candidates to be voted upon at any preliminary election, not more than twice as many such statements have been filed with the city clerk for an office as candidates are to be elected to such office, the candidates whose statements have been filed with the city clerk shall be deemed to have been nominated to such office, and their names shall be voted upon for such office at the succeeding general election, and the city clerk shall not print their names on the ballots to be used at said preliminary election and no other nomination to such office shall be made. If in consequence it shall appear that no names are to be printed upon the official ballots to be used in any particular district or districts, no preliminary election shall be held in such district or districts.
g) 
Ballot Position: The order in which names of candidates appear on the ballot for each office shall be determined by a drawing, by lot, conducted by the city clerk. The city clerk shall give public notice of the time and place of the drawing, and the drawing shall be open to the public.
All elections for municipal offices shall be non-partisan and election ballots shall be printed without any party mark, emblem, or other designation whatsoever.
The territory of Framingham shall be divided into nine (9) districts so established as to consist of as nearly an equal number of inhabitants as it is possible to achieve based on compact and contiguous territory, bounded insofar as possible by the center line of known streets or ways or by other well defined limits. Each of the nine (9) districts shall cluster together centers of common interest or neighborhoods, considering, but not limited to, places where people congregate, recreate, worship, shop, learn and live. Each such district shall be composed of voting precincts established in accordance with general laws. The council shall from time to time, but at least once in each ten (10) years, review such districts to insure their uniformity in number of inhabitants and conformity with state and federal law.
Except as otherwise expressly provided in this charter and authorized by law, all municipal elections shall be governed by the general laws of the Commonwealth relating to the right to vote, the registration of voters, the nomination of candidates, the conduct of general and special elections, the submission of charters, charter amendments and other propositions to the voters, the counting of votes, the recounting of votes, and the determination of results.