A meeting of the electors of the Town of Durham for the election of the municipal officers shall be held biennially on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November in the odd-numbered years. At such meeting the following shall be elected on voting machines, between hours to be set in accordance with General Statutes:
(1) 
A Board of Selectmen consisting of a First Selectmen and two additional members; a Town Clerk; a Tax Collector; a Town Treasurer, and two Registrars of Voters, all for terms of four years each.
(2) 
Two members of the six-member Board of Finance for the term of six years each.
(3) 
One member of the three-member Board of Assessment Appeals for the term of six years each.
(4) 
Two or three regular members and one or two alternate members of the five member Zoning Board of Appeals for terms of four years.
(5) 
Four or five regular members and one or two alternate members of the nine member Planning and Zoning commission, for terms of four years.
(6) 
Sufficient members to maintain a full delegation to represent the town on the Regional District 13 Board of Education, for terms of four years each.
The terms of all officers shall commence on the first Monday in December except the Town Clerk and Town Treasurer, whose terms shall begin on the first Monday in January. All elective officers presently holding office and to be elected hereunder, shall hold office until their successors are elected, have taken the oath of office and have otherwise qualified.
Nomination and election of state and federal officers and other elective officers of the town, including two registrars of voters shall be conducted in the manner prescribed in the Constitution of the United States and the General Statutes. The nomination or appointment of 18 Justices of the Peace shall also be conducted in this manner. The Registrars of Voters shall prepare lists of electors qualified to vote in accordance with said laws.
The maximum number of members of any board, commission, committee, or similar body of the state or any political subdivision thereof, whether elective or appointive, except any such board, commission, committee, or body whose members are elected on the basis of a geographical division of the state or such political subdivision, who may be members of the same political parties shall be as specified in the following table:
All such elections and/or appointments shall be made in accordance with the General Statutes.
Total Membership Party
Maximum From One
3
2
4
3
5
4
6
4
7
5
8
5
9
6
More than 9
No more than two-thirds of total membership
When, as a result of any general, municipal, or special election conducted under the provisions of this Charter, it is necessary to break a tie, procedures in accordance with the General Statutes shall prevail.
No person will be eligible for election to any town office or appointment to any board or commission who is not at the time of his/her election or appointment an elector or resident of the town, and any person ceasing to be an elector or resident of the town will thereupon cease to hold elective office or appointive board or commission membership in the town.
Unless otherwise specified in this Charter or the General Statutes, any vacancy, from whatever cause arising other than the expiration of term, in any elective or appointive town office, shall be filled by appointment by the Board of Selectmen for the unexpired portion of the term or until the next scheduled election for that office, whichever shall be sooner.
Vacancies created by the demise or resignation of a board member shall be reported by the chairman or resigning board member, in writing, to the Town Clerk and to the Board of Selectmen as soon as such information becomes available and before the first meeting of the Board of Selectmen following the reporting of said vacancy.
Such impending or actual vacancies shall be publicized. The Board of Selectmen shall make such appointment no sooner than five days nor later than 30 days after the Board of Selectmen's meeting at which the vacancy is announced.
Such vacancies shall be filled as follows:
(1) 
Selectman. Such vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the remaining Selectmen, and such appointee shall be a member of the same political party as the person vacating the office. Should the remaining Selectmen be unable to agree on the appointment within 30 days after the office is vacated, the procedure prescribed in the General Statutes shall be followed.
(2) 
Office filled by General Town Election or Appointment. When a person vacating the office shall have been elected or appointed as a member of a political party, such vacancy shall be filled by appointment of a member of the same political party.
(3) 
Office filled by Election at Annual Town Meeting or Annual Budget Meeting. Such vacancy shall be filled by appointment not in conflict with Section 2.3 (minority representation) of this Charter and the General Statutes.
(4) 
The First Selectman or his/her appointed representative, shall provide each person appointed to a board, commission or other position, a copy of the ordinance, General Statute or other source clearly defining the appointee's duties.
The Town Clerk shall maintain a list of appointed board and commission members including dates of expiration of their terms. The Town Clerk shall, at least two months prior to the expiration of any term, notify the Board of Selectmen. The appointing authority shall notify boards and commissions chairpersons of impending term expirations and shall publicize impending vacancies. All appointments shall be made prior to the expiration of the term.
Except as otherwise specified in this Charter, every board shall elect from its members a chairman, a vice-chairman to act in the place of the chairman, and a secretary.
All elective town officers shall have powers and duties in accordance with the General Statutes and this Charter. Remuneration, if any, of town officials, whether elected or appointed, shall be set by vote of the Annual Budget Meeting upon the recommendation of the Board of Finance. Such salaries shall be listed separately for voting by being included as separate line items in the budget.
All town boards and commissions shall keep and file copies of their minutes with the Town Clerk, in accordance with General Statutes and Freedom of Information Acts, as amended. Upon receipt of the minutes, the Town Clerk shall cause a copy of said minutes to be transmitted to the Board of Selectmen.
Meetings of all town boards and commissions shall be open to the public, excepting that, upon a majority vote of the members present, meetings may be closed to the public for executive session.
Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, the provisions of the General Statutes shall prevail for all referenda.
The town may enter into such regional districts and associations as are permitted by the General Statutes and this Charter.