(A) Election; term of office. Each Council member shall be elected at-large by the voters of the city at a regular election. Terms of office begin on the first day of January following the election and shall be for two years.
(B) Qualifications. A member shall be at least 18 years of age, shall be a qualified voter in the city, and shall reside in the city throughout his term of office.
(KRS 83A.040(4))
(C) (1) The City Council may by ordinance divide the city into wards by either of the following methods:
(a) The city may create the same number of wards as the number of Council members. Wards shall be as nearly equal in population as practicable and their boundaries shall be fixed by the ordinance; or
(b) The city may establish a hybrid ward system for the conduct of its City Council elections, provided that the city shall provide in the ordinance that a specific number of City Council seats shall be subject to the ward system and that a specific number of City Council seats shall be elected at large within the entire city without representing a particular ward. The wards created under this division (C)(1)(b) shall be as nearly equal in population as practicable and their boundaries shall be fixed by ordinance.
(2) The populations of wards shall be reviewed as necessary to insure that populations are as nearly equal as practicable, but the populations of wards shall be reviewed for equalization at least as often as each regular federal consensus.
(3) Wards may be abolished by repeal of the ordinance creating them. No creation, alteration or abolition of wards shall occur later than the first Wednesday after the first Monday in November of the year preceding the year in which the city legislative offices will appear on the ballot.
(4) If a city is divided into wards, Council members shall be nominated and elected in the following manner:
(a) Members shall be elected in the regular November election at large, but each candidate shall reside in the ward he seeks to represent and shall be elected in such a manner that each ward is equally represented on the City Council. The names shall be presented in the election to show for which ward each candidate is seeking election and voters shall be instructed to "vote for one candidate in each ward." The candidate receiving the highest number of votes cast in each ward shall be deemed to be elected from such ward.
(b) Persons seeking nomination of a political party for the office of City Council member where a primary election is required for the political party, shall be voted upon exclusively by the eligible voters of the ward in which the person resides and seeks to represent.
(c) Except as provided in division (C)(4)(d) below, persons seeking nomination for the office of City Council member in a nonpartisan election where a primary is conducted pursuant to KRS 83A.170 shall be voted upon at large by the voters of the city and the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes in each ward shall be deemed to be nominated from that ward.
(d) The city may provide specifically in the ordinance provided in division (C)(1) above that persons seeking nomination for the office of City Council member in a nonpartisan primary conducted pursuant to KRS 83A.170 shall be voted upon exclusively by the eligible voters of the ward in which the person resides and seeks to represent. The two candidates receiving the highest number of votes cast in each ward shall be deemed to be nominated from the ward.
(5) If the city enacts or amends an ordinance to establish or abolish wards, modify ward boundaries, or to establish the manner of elections under division (C)(4) above, such action shall be completed within the time specified by division (B) above and the city shall forward a copy of the ordinance to the county clerk or county clerks of the county or counties in which the city is located. (KRS 83A.100)
(D) No vacancy by reason of a voluntary resignation of a member of the City Council shall occur unless a written resignation which specifies the resignation date is tendered to the City Council. The resignation shall be effective at the next regular meeting of the city legislative body. (KRS 83A.040(7))