[Amended 2-24-1971; 5-1-1972, 1-20-2015 by HR 2015-01, 12-2-2016 by HR 2016-02]
Every person who (1) is at least sixteen (16) years of age, (2) has the City of Hyattsville as the applicant's primary residence, (3) has resided within the corporate limits of the City for thirty (30) days, (4) does not claim the right to vote elsewhere in the United States, (5) has not been found by a Court to be unable to communicate a desire to vote and (6) is registered in accordance with the provisions of this Charter shall be a qualified voter of the City. Every qualified voter of the City shall be entitled to vote at any or all City elections.
[Amended 12-19-1983 by HR No. 17-83; 2-9-2009 by HR 2009-01, 12-2-2016 by HR 2016-02]
There shall be a Board of Supervisors of Elections consisting of five (5) members, who shall be appointed by the Mayor with the approval of the Council. Three (3) of the members shall be appointed and approved on or before the second Monday in January of 2011 and thereafter in every second odd-numbered year. Two (2) members shall be appointed and approved on or before the second Monday in January of 2013 and thereafter in every second odd-numbered year. Upon the effective date of this Charter provision, the current three members of the Board shall retain their membership on the Board and the Mayor with the approval of the Council may appoint an additional two (2) members, one (1) member whose term of office shall be until January of 2011, and the other member whose term of office shall be until January 2013. The terms of the members of the Board of Supervisors of Elections shall begin on the second Monday in January in the year in which they are appointed and shall run for four (4) years. Members of the Board of Supervisors of Elections shall not hold or be candidates for any elective office during their term of office. The Board shall appoint one (1) of its members as Chairman. Vacancies on the Board shall be filled by the Mayor with the approval of the Council for the remainder of the unexpired term. The compensation of the members of the Board shall be determined by the Council.
Any member of the Board of Supervisors of Elections may be removed for good cause by the Council. Before removal, the member of the Board of Supervisors of Elections to be removed shall be given a written copy of the charges against him and shall have a public hearing on them before the Council if he so requests within ten (10) days after receiving the written copy of the charges against him.
[Amended 1-30-1989 by HR No. 1-89]
The Board of Supervisors of Elections shall be in charge of the conduct of all City elections. The Board may appoint election clerks or other employees to assist it in any of its duties.
[Amended 12-19-1983 by HR. No. 18-83; 1-30-1989 by HR No. 1-89]
The Board of Supervisors of Elections shall give notice of every election by publishing notice thereof twice in a newspaper of general circulation in the City.
[Amended 1-30-1989 by HR No. 1-89, 12-2-2016 by HR 2016-02]
A. 
In accordance with the State Universal Registration Act, as contained in Article 33, Section 3-2 of the Annotated Code of Maryland, as amended, any person residing in the City who is registered with the Board of Supervisors of Elections of Prince George's County shall be deemed to be registered to vote in City elections.
B. 
The Board of Supervisors of Elections shall maintain a supplemental voter registry, separate from the list of registered voters generated by the Prince George's County Board of Elections, which shall include the names of those who are registered to vote in City elections pursuant to C4-1 of this Charter and are not on the list of registered voters generated by the Prince George's County Board of Elections.
C. 
Voter registration for the supplemental voter registry shall be accomplished by the Board of Supervisors of Elections' acceptance of a completed and signed registration application as outlined in the City Elections Code.
D. 
Same day voter registration. No later than January 1, 2019, the Board of Supervisors of Elections shall institute a same day registration program so that City residents who are eligible to vote in City elections pursuant to this Charter, but who are not registered to vote, may, when they arrive to vote, register to vote in a City election by submitting and completing a signed registration application and then have the opportunity to vote that same day. Same day registration shall occur at a minimum on any day during the time the polls are open in the City.
[Amended 12-19-1983 by HR No. 19-83; 1-30-1989 by HR No. 1-89]
If any person shall feel aggrieved by any action of the Board of Supervisors of Elections, such person may appeal to the Council by giving notice to the Clerk, in writing, within fifteen (15) days of the action taken by the Board of Supervisors of Elections.
[Amended 12-19-1983 by HR No. 20-83; 1-30-1989 by HR No. 2-89; 1-19-2021 by Charter Amendment Res. No. 2021-1]
A. 
Filing of applications. Any qualified person may become a candidate for the office of Councilman for the ward in which he resides by filing an application with the Board of Supervisors of Elections on or before 5:00 p.m. on the second Friday in March of each election year for which a vacancy in such ward shall occur. Any qualified person may become a candidate for the office of Mayor by similarly filing an application if a Mayor is to be elected that year. The application shall be on a form prescribed and made available by the Board of Supervisors of Elections. No fee shall be charged any person for filing an application.
B. 
Public notice. Notice of the availability of applications and the time and place for their filing shall be given twice in a newspaper of general circulation in the City once a week during the two (2) weeks preceding the filing deadline provided herein. The Board of Supervisors of Elections shall certify to the Mayor and City Council the name of each person filing an application of candidacy and the respective office for which that person has filed an application at the first regular meeting of the Council following the second Friday in March of each election year. If for any reason there is no candidate for a particular office, the City Council shall make nominations for that office at this meeting.
C. 
Names on ballots. No candidate's name shall be printed upon official ballots of election in the City of Hyattsville other than the names of the persons contained in the certificate mentioned in the preceding subsection, except the names of persons nominated by the City Council subsequent to the meeting of the Council as provided in such subsection. Official ballots shall follow the general form prescribed by the election laws of the State of Maryland.
[Amended 12-19-1983 by HR No. 21-83; 1-30-1989 by HR No. 2-89; 2-20-2007 by HR 2007-03; 2-9-2009 by HR 2009-01]
A. 
Beginning in 2011 for regular City elections, Election Day shall be the second Tuesday in May of each year an Election for Mayor and/or Council regularly occurs. For any Special Election the City Council shall set an appropriate day as the Election Day. In addition, the City Council shall have the authority to authorize opening the polls to qualified voters on a specific day or days close to, but in advance of, Election Day (advance voting day).
[Amended 12-7-2020 by Charter Amendment Res. No. 2020-01]
B. 
It shall be the duty of the Board of Supervisors of Elections to provide for each referendum and election a suitable place or places for voting and suitable ballot boxes and ballots and/or voting machines. The ballots and/or voting machines shall show the name of each candidate who has filed an application or been nominated by the City Council for elective office in accordance with the provisions of this Charter, arranged in alphabetical order by office with no party designation of any kind. The Board of Supervisor of Elections shall keep the polls open at a minimum from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Election Day or for longer hours if the Council requires it and shall make reasonable accommodation for opening and closing the polls on any advance voting day. The Board of Supervisors of Elections shall make reasonable accommodation for all qualified voters covered by the Americans with Disability Act.
[Amended 12-19-1983 by HR No. 22-83]
All referendum elections shall be conducted by the Board of Supervisors of Elections in the same manner and with the same personnel, as far as practicable, as regular City elections.
[Amended 12-19-1983 by HR No. 10-83, 12-1-2014 by HR 2014-03, 12-2-2016 by HR 2016-02; 12-7-2020 by Charter Amendment Res. No. 2020-01]
Within five (5) calendar days after the closing of the polls, the Board of Supervisors of Elections shall determine the votes cast for each person, candidate or question and shall certify the results of the election to the Clerk of the City, who shall record the results in the minutes of the Council. Write-in votes for individuals not registered as candidates shall be counted. The individual who meets the qualifications outlined in § C2-2 of the City Charter and who has the highest number of votes in the at large Mayoral election shall be declared elected as Mayor. The individual who meets the qualifications outlined in § C2-2 of the City Charter and who has the highest number of votes in each ward shall be declared elected as Council member for that ward.
[Amended 12-19-1983 by HR No. 23-83]
All ballots used in any City election shall be preserved for at least six (6) months from the date of election by the Board of Supervisors of Elections.
Women shall have equal privileges with men in registering, voting and holding City offices. Whenever the masculine gender has been used as to any registering, voting or holding City office, it shall be construed to include the feminine gender.
The Council shall have the power to provide by ordinance in every respect not covered by the provisions of this Charter for the conduct of registration, nomination and City elections and for the prevention of fraud in connection therewith and for a recount of ballots in case of doubt or fraud.
[Amended 12-19-1983 by HR No. 24-83]
Any officer or employee of the City who is convicted of violating any law of the City, Prince George's County or the State of Maryland pertaining to elections, and such violation having occurred in the course of a municipal election in the City of Hyattsville, shall immediately, upon conviction, cease to hold such office or employment.
[Amended 12-8-1992 by HR No. 6-92, 2-7-2005 by HR 2005-02, 10-10-2006 by HR No. 2006-14, 7-16-2012 by HR No. 126-07-12; 12-19-2022 by Charter Amendment Res. No. 2022-02]
The City shall be divided into five (5) wards as described immediately below. Unless otherwise provided, reference to any street or alley as a boundary herein shall mean the center line of the street or alley.
Ward 1. Ward number one shall include all that area of the City south and east of a line drawn as follows: beginning at the intersection of East West Highway and Forty-Second Avenue; then south on Forty-Second Avenue until Oliver Street; west along Oliver Street to the rear lot line of 6030 Forty-Second Avenue; south along the rear lot lines of the residences between Oliver Street and Oglethorpe Street; then southeast to Forty-Second Avenue; then south on Forty-Second Avenue until Farragut Street; west along Farragut Street to Alley 13C; south on Alley 13C to Forty-First Place; then north on Forty-First Place until Emerson Street; then west along Emerson Street to the rear lot line of 4922 40th Place; then southwest to Crittenden Street; then west on Crittenden Street to the unnamed creek in Magruder Woods; south along the unnamed creek in Magruder Woods to the northwest branch of the Anacostia River; then east, north and west along the boundary of the City to East West Highway.
Ward 2. Ward number two shall embrace all that part of the City bounded by a line as follows: beginning at the intersection of East West Highway and Forty-Second Avenue; then south on Forty-Second Avenue until Oliver Street; west along Oliver Street to the rear lot line of 6030 Forty-Second Avenue; south along the rear lot lines of the residences between Oliver Street and Oglethorpe Street; then southeast to Forty-Second Avenue; then south on Forty-Second Avenue until Farragut Street; west along Farragut Street to Alley 13C; south on Alley 13C to Forty-First Place; then north on Forty-First Place until Emerson Street; then west along Emerson Street to the rear lot line of 4922 40th Place; then southwest to Crittenden Street; then west on Crittenden Street to the unnamed creek in Magruder Woods; south along the unnamed creek in Magruder Woods to the northwest branch of the Anacostia River; west along the northwest branch of the Anacostia River to the western boundary of the Thirty-Eighth Avenue Park; north on the western boundary of the Thirty-Eighth Avenue Park to the south boundary of Park Place Apartments; and then west along the south boundary of Park Place Apartments; north along the west boundary of Park Place Apartments to Hamilton Street; then west along Hamilton Street to Thirty-Eighth Avenue, then north on Thirty-Eighth Avenue to Jefferson Street, then northeast to the rear lot line of 5511 Thirty-Eighth Avenue, north along the rear lot lines of the residences between 5511 Thirty-Eighth Avenue and Longfellow Street; then west along Longfellow Street to Thirty-Seventh Avenue; north on Thirty-Seventh Avenue to the rear lot line of 3610 Longfellow Street; west along the rear lot line of 3610 Longfellow Street to the rear lot line of 5703 Thirty-Sixth Avenue; north along the rear lot line of 5703 Thirty-Sixth Avenue to the rear lot line of 5805 Queen's Chapel Road; then east along the rear lot line of 5805 Queen's Chapel Road to the eastern lot line of 5805 Queen's Chapel Road; west along the eastern lot line of 5805 Queen's Chapel Road to Queen's Chapel Road; then north on Queen's Chapel Road to its intersection with Adelphi Road (the boundary of the City).
Ward 3. Ward number three shall include all that area north and west of a line beginning at the northwest boundary of the City and the west boundary of 5902 31st Avenue and then north along the west boundary of 5902 31st Avenue to the Metro tracks (WMATA property) and then north and east along the Metro tracks (WMATA property) to the northern boundary of Nicholas Orem Elementary School (6100 Editor's Park Drive); then east along the northern boundary of Nicholas Orem Elementary School (6100 Editor's Park Drive) and then along the southern boundary of Hyattsville Crossing Metro Station (3575 Belcrest Center Drive), then east along the southern boundary of Mosaic at Metro Apartments (6206 Belcrest Road); then east along the southern boundary of Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department (6200 Belcrest Road) to Queen's Chapel Road; then north along Queen's Chapel Road to its intersection with Adelphi Road (the boundary of the City).
Ward 4. Ward four shall include all that area contained in a line beginning at the northwest boundary of the City and the west boundary of 5902 31st Avenue and then north along the west boundary of 5902 31st Avenue to the Metro tracks (WMATA property) and then north and east along the Metro tracks (WMATA property) to the northern boundary of Nicholas Orem Elementary School (6100 Editor's Park Drive); then east along the northern boundary of Nicholas Orem Elementary School (6100 Editor's Park Drive) and then along the southern boundary of Hyattsville Crossing Metro Station (3575 Belcrest Center Drive), then east along the southern boundary of Mosaic at Metro Apartments (6206 Belcrest Road); then east along the southern boundary of Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department (6200 Belcrest Road) to Queen's Chapel Road; then south and west along Queen's Chapel Road until the south boundary of 3545 Madison Street on the west side of Queen's Chapel Road and then west along the rear lot lines of the residences between Queen's Chapel Road and Jamestown Road; then south and west along Jamestown Road to Thirty-First Avenue; then south on Thirty-First Avenue to the south boundary of 3007 Jamestown Road; then west along the rear lot lines of the residences between Thirty-First Avenue and Ager Road; then north on Ager Road to the City boundary.
Ward 5. Ward five shall include all that area south and west of a line beginning at the intersection of the northwest branch of the Anacostia River and the western boundary of the Thirty-Eighth Avenue Park and running north on the western boundary of the Thirty-Eighth Avenue Park to the south boundary of Park Place Apartments; and then west along the south boundary of Park Place Apartments; north along the west boundary of Park Place Apartments to Hamilton Street; then west along Hamilton Street to Thirty-Eighth Avenue, then north on Thirty-Eighth Avenue to Jefferson Street, then northeast to the rear lot line of 5511 Thirty-Eighth Avenue, north along the rear lot lines of the residences between 5511 Thirty-Eighth Avenue and Longfellow Street; then west along Longfellow Street to Thirty-Seventh Avenue; north on Thirty-Seventh Avenue to the rear lot line of 3610 Longfellow Street; west along the rear lot line of 3610 Longfellow Street to the rear lot line of 5703 Thirty-Sixth Avenue; north along the rear lot line of 5703 Thirty-Sixth Avenue to the rear lot line of 5805 Queen's Chapel Road; then east along the rear lot line of 5805 Queen's Chapel Road to the eastern lot line of 5805 Queen's Chapel Road; west along the eastern lot line of 5805 Queen's Chapel Road to Queen's Chapel Road; then south on Queen's Chapel Road until the south boundary of 3545 Madison Street on the west side of Queen's Chapel Road and then west along the rear lot lines of the residences between Queen's Chapel Road and Jamestown Road; then south and west along Jamestown Road to Thirty-First Avenue; then south on Thirty-First Avenue to the south boundary of 3007 Jamestown Road; then west along the rear lot lines of the residences between Thirty-First Avenue and Ager Road; then north on Ager Road to the City boundary.
The City Council shall have the power, by ordinance, to establish, change or relocate the boundaries of existing wards and to establish, change and relocate boundaries for new or additional wards created either by the annexation of territory to the City or by the divisions of a ward or wards.
The City Council shall have the power, after notice thereof and opportunity for public hearings as the City Council shall provide and direct, to divide any and all of the wards of the City into two (2) or more voting precincts as public convenience or public welfare, in their discretion, may require or direct.