[Amended 11-3-1981; 11-5-2002; 11-2-2004; 11-2-2010; 11-4-2014]
a.
Regular City Elections. Regular City elections shall be held annually
on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
b.
Qualified Voters. All citizens qualified by the Constitution and
the laws of the State of Maine to vote in the City and who satisfied
requirements for registration prescribed by the law shall be qualified
voters of the City within the meaning of the Charter.
c.
Conduct of Elections. Except as otherwise provided by this Charter,
the provisions of the general election laws of the State of Maine
shall apply to elections held under this Charter. All elections provided
for by the Charter shall be conducted by election authorities as established
by law.
b.
Nomination by Petition. The nomination of candidates for Mayor shall
be made by nomination petition. A candidate for Mayor shall become
qualified by filing a nomination petition signed by 200 qualified
voters in the City. The nomination of candidates for the elective
offices of councilor, School Board member, warden, and ward clerk
shall be made by nomination petition. A candidate for nomination to
the elective office of councilor, warden, ward clerk and School Board
member shall become qualified by filing a nomination petition signed
by 35 qualified voters from the respective ward. Signatures of City
residents living outside the applicable ward of the candidate shall
not be counted towards the required total of 35. Nomination petition
shall be filed in the office of the City Clerk at least 60 days prior
to the date of the municipal election. The nomination and election
of these offices shall be nonpartisan.
[Amended 11-6-2018[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This Charter amendment has an effective date
of 7-9-2019.
c.
The City Clerk shall cause specimen ballots to be posted in public
places in each ward and at City Hall. These ballots shall contain
the names of certified candidates with residence of each and office
for which they are a candidate. Such ballots shall be without party
mark or designation.
e.
Saco School Board. The seven members of the Saco School Board shall
serve three-year terms and the election for this office shall be non-partisan.
One person from each Ward of the City shall be elected by ballot,
but no name may be placed upon the ballot until a nomination petition
is completed as provided in Subsection b above.
f.
For the sole purpose of creating a staggered composition to the School
Board, the first municipal election to be held hereafter shall be
for all seven wards, but the even numbered wards shall elect candidates
for terms of only two years notwithstanding any other provisions of
this Charter, and the odd numbered wards shall elect candidates for
terms of three years. At the expiration of all such terms, including
those of the even numbered wards, each election for office of School
Board member thereafter shall be for a term of three years.
The City Council may provide for the use of
mechanical or other devices for voting or counting the votes not inconsistent
with the law.
