Chapter XI.
ELECTIONS

Section 1.  Types of Elections

Municipal elections held in the City shall be either primary, general, special, or advisory.

A.    Primary elections shall be for the purposes of making nominations for the general elections and for electing officers of the City as hereinafter provided, and for such other purposes as the Council may prescribe.

B.    General elections shall be held for the purposes of electing officers of the City and such other purposes as the Council may prescribe.

C.    Special or advisory elections shall be held for such purposes as the Council may prescribe. The Council may order special or advisory elections by resolution or ordinance setting forth the date, manner, and means of holding such elections.

Section 2.  Application of State Law

State law relating to and governing the nomination of elective officers, and the conduct of elections, with all amendments thereto, shall apply and govern, as far as practical, the nomination of elective officers and the conduct of elections, except as otherwise provided in this Charter. The Council has the power to make, by ordinance, additional provisions relating to nominations and elections not contrary to this Charter.

Section 3.  Qualifications of Electors, Registration

A.    The qualifications of electors shall be residency within the City, and as required by state law for County electors.

B.    Registration of voters shall be as required by state law and the register of qualified voters shall be compiled from the general County register.

Section 4.  Arrangement of Names on Ballot

The names of the candidates for each office shall be arranged as provided by state law.

Section 5.  Non-partisan Elections

Nothing on the ballot in any election shall be indicative of the source of the candidacy, or of the party affiliation or support of the candidate.

Section 6.  Time of Holding Primary and General Elections

Elections to the offices of Mayor and Council shall be held in even-numbered years on dates specified by State law; such elections shall occur in the fall. Notwithstanding other Charter provisions to the contrary, a Mayor or Councilmember shall hold office until their successor is otherwise qualified.

Section 7.  Nomination for General Election

A.    Any candidate who receives at a Primary election a majority of all the votes cast at that election for the office for which such person is a candidate shall be declared elected to that office effective as of the date of the general election, and no further election shall be held as to said office; provided, that if more candidates receive a majority of votes cast than there are seats to be filled for that office, then those candidates who receive the highest number of votes, equal to the number of seats to be filled for the office, shall be declared elected to that office. The majority of votes cast shall be determined pursuant to state law.

B.    If at any Primary election there be any office or offices to which no candidate receives a majority, said election shall be considered to be an election for the nomination of candidates for such office or offices, and a second or general election shall be held to vote for candidates to fill such office or offices.

C.    The candidates not elected at a first or primary election, equal or fewer in number to twice the number of seats to be filled in the office for which they are candidates, and who received the highest number of votes for the respective offices at such first election, shall be the only candidates at a second or general election; provided, that if there be any person who, under this section, would have been entitled to become a candidate for any office except for the fact that some other candidate received an equal number of votes therefore, then all such persons receiving said equal number of votes shall be candidates for such office.

Section 8.  Result of a General Election

Unless an election is decided at the Primary, as set forth in Section 7 of this Article, the candidates equal in number to the offices to be filled who receive the highest number of votes at a general election shall be declared elected to such office.

Section 9.  Tiebreaker

A tie vote between candidates for any City office shall be decided by the flip of a coin. A tie vote on any initiative, referendum, or recall measure shall indicate the failure of that measure.