[R.O. 2011; Approved by electorate, November 3, 1981; Amendment approved by electorate, April 7, 1992; Amendment approved by electorate, August 6, 1996]
(a) 
Regular Elections. Regular City elections shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in April.
[Amending Ord. 15-257 approved by electorate, April 5, 2016]
(b) 
Primary Election For Mayor. The City primary election, if needed, for the office of Mayor shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in February.
(c) 
Special Elections. The council may by resolution order special elections, fix the time for such elections, and provide for holding such elections.
(d) 
Conduct Of Elections. All City elections shall be governed by the provisions of the charter and applicable state law. The council by ordinance may further regulate elections, subject to the provisions of the charter and applicable state law.
[1]
Cross Reference--As to municipal elections, Ch. 105.
[R.O. 2011; Approved by electorate, November 3, 1981; Amendment approved by electorate, November 7, 1989; Amendment approved by electorate, August 6, 1996; Amending Ord. 99-2 approved by electorate, April 6, 1999]
(a) 
Nominations. Nominations of candidates for all elective offices shall be by petition. Petitions for ward councilmembers shall be signed by not less than 25 qualified registered voters who are entitled to vote for the candidate so nominated. Petitions for officials elected by the entire City shall be signed by not less than 100 qualified registered voters of the City. No voter shall sign more than one nominating petition for the same office, and should a voter do so, the voter's signature shall be void except as to the first filed of the petitions signed by the voter for the office concerned. The signatures shall be executed in ink or indelible pencil. Each signer shall indicate next to the signature the date of signing and the place of the signer's residence, giving the street and number or other description sufficient to identify the signer's place of residence. The council by ordinance shall designate the appropriate form for nominating petitions and for acceptance of nominations to offices.
(b) 
Filing And Acceptance. Petitions for nomination for elective office shall be filed with the City Clerk. The opening date for filing petitions for nomination for all offices except Mayor shall be 8:00 a.m. on the 12th Tuesday prior to the regular election, and the closing date for filing the petition for nomination for all offices except Mayor shall be 5:00 p.m. on the 11th Tuesday prior to the regular election. The opening date for filing petitions for nomination for the office of Mayor shall be 8:00 a.m. on the 12th Tuesday prior to the primary election date, and the closing date for filing the petitions for nomination for the office of Mayor shall be 5:00 p.m. on the 11th Tuesday prior to the primary election date.
(c) 
Procedure After Filing. Within five days after the filing of a nominating petition, the election authorities shall notify the candidate and the person who filed the petition whether or not it is sufficient. If a petition is found insufficient, the election authorities shall return it immediately to the person who filed it with a statement certifying wherein it is found insufficient. Within the regular time for filing petitions, such a petition may be amended and filed again as a new petition or a different petition may be filed for same candidate. The election authorities shall keep on file all petitions found sufficient at least until the expiration of the term for which the candidates are nominated in those petitions.
[R.O. 2011; Approved by electorate, November 3, 1981; Amendment approved by electorate, April 7, 1992]
The names of candidates for elective offices shall be printed on ballots without party designation. The order upon which the candidates' names appear on the ballot shall be determined by lottery supervised by the City Clerk. At least one notice of election shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation, which notice shall contain the names of candidates to be elected. The conduct of election within the City shall conform as close as practicable with the state election law for non-partisan elections.
[R.O. 2011; Approved by electorate, November 3, 1981; Amendment approved by electorate, August 6, 1996]
(a) 
Number Of Votes. Every qualified registered voter shall be entitled to vote for candidates at-large and to vote for one candidate for ward councilmember to represent the ward in which the qualified registered voter resides.
(b) 
Returns; Canvass. The council shall canvass the election returns and declare the results of any municipal election, regular, primary, or special, at the first regular meeting to be held following certification of the election results by the election authority which meeting shall be open to the public and to which all candidates have been invited. The names of the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes in the mayoral primary election shall be placed on the ballot for the regular election. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes for each office at the regular election shall be declared elected and inducted into office at a meeting to occur not later than two (2) weeks following certification of the election results by the election authority.
[Amending Ord. 15-257 approved by electorate, April 5, 2016]
(c) 
Tie Vote. If at any regular municipal election there shall be no choice between candidates by reason of two or more having received an equal number of votes, the council shall proceed to determine the election by lot between the candidates receiving the most votes at the meeting at which the canvassing of the election occurs. If at any mayoral primary election there can be no determination of the two candidates receiving the most votes by reason of two or more having received an equal number of votes, then the two candidates whose names shall appear on the ballot at the regular election shall be determined by lot at the meeting at which the canvassing of the election occurs. If the tie occurs between those receiving the highest number of votes, the names of those candidates shall appear on the ballot. If the tie occurs between those receiving the second highest number of votes, then the names of all those receiving the second highest number of votes shall appear on the ballot at the regular election, in addition to the candidate in the mayoral primary who received the highest number of votes.