Section 26. Appeal from action of board of supervisors of elections.

   If any person shall fee [feel] aggrieved by any action of the board of supervisors of elections in refusing to register or in striking off the name of any person, or by any other action, such person may appeal to the council. Any decision or action of the council upon such appeals may be appealed to the circuit court for the county within thirty days of the decision or action of the council.

Section 27. Candidates.

   (a)   Any person desiring to have his name placed upon the official ballot at the time of election for Mayor or Councilmember, shall at least thirty days prior to the election file with the Supervisors of Election, a petition setting forth his name, residence, age, the length of time he has lived in the town, the office which he seeks, and such petition shall be signed by at least twenty qualified voters, and in the case of a candidate for Councilmember, the voters signing the said petition shall reside within the limits of the ward for which he is a candidate.

   (b)   Certificate of candidacy – A certificate in the following form shall be sufficient:

   To the Supervisors of Election of Chestertown, Maryland:

   I hereby request that you print my name on the official ballot in the town election to be held __________________________ as candidate for __________________________ and I do hereby certify that my name is __________________________: I am ______ years old; I am a resident of the __________________________ ward, and have lived in the town for _________ years; I am a registered voter. I hereby certify that I am qualified to file this Petition of Candidacy, that I have met the residency requirement of 2 years if running for Mayor and 1 year if running for Councilperson with 30 days as a resident of the ward. My current legal street address is                                                                               .

Date                                  Printed Name and signature                                                              

We, the undersigned, qualified electors in said town request the candidacy of                                                                                          

 

Printed Name	Signature	Ward	Full Street Address

 

Section 28. Election of Mayor and Councilmen.

   On the first Tuesday in November 2001 and on the first Tuesday in November every fourth year thereafter, the qualified voters of the town shall elect one person as Mayor of said town, who shall have the necessary qualifications as hereinbefore provided. The Mayor so elected shall serve a term of four years, or until his successor is elected and qualified.

   On the first Tuesday in November 2001 the qualified voters of the town shall also elect two persons to be members of the council of said town, one each from the 1st and 3rd wards, who shall have the necessary qualifications as hereinbefore provided. The councilmen so elected from the 1st and 3rd wards shall serve a term of 4 years, or until their successors are elected and qualified. The councilmen from the 2nd and 4th wards shall complete their present term of 4 years, or until their successors are elected and qualified. Thereafter, commencing with the first Tuesday in November 2003 and on the first Tuesday in November in every second year thereafter, the qualified voters of the town shall elect two persons to be members of the Council of said town, who shall have the necessary qualifications as hereinbefore provided, and who shall serve a term of four years, or until their successors are elected and qualified. (Res. No. 2-01, 3-27-01.) (See note (3))

Section 29. Conduct of elections generally.

   It shall be the duty of the board of supervisors of elections to provide for each special and general election a suitable place or places for voting and suitable ballot boxes and ballots and/or voting machines. The ballots and/or machines shall show the name of each candidate nominated 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 supervisors of elections shall keep the polls open from 7:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. on election days or for longer hours if the council requires it.

Section 30. Absentee Voting.

   The Mayor and Council shall make provisions for an absentee ballot for those persons who are qualified to vote and may be unavoidably absent from Chestertown for any reason on election day or for those persons who are qualified to vote and whose physical disability will prevent them from being present at the polls on election day.

Section 31. Special Elections.

   All special town 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 town elections.