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(a) All qualified electors of the state who reside within the city shall have the right to vote in all city elections.
(b) In this Charter, the terms “qualified voter,” “registered voter,” “qualified elector,” and “registered elector” are synonymous and may be used interchangeably. (Amend. of 4-3-76, Prop. No. 10; Amend. of 4-2-83, Prop. No. 4; Amend. of 5-1-93, Prop. No. 6)
No primary election shall be held for the selection of nominees to the city council unless specifically required by state law. General elections for the purpose of electing members of the city council shall be held according to state law. If state law does not restrict election dates, the city council shall by resolution or ordinance establish an election date on a uniform election date in odd-numbered years. The members elected shall compose the city council of the City of Dallas and shall serve for the terms provided in Chapter III of this Charter, or until their respective successors shall have been elected, qualified, and taken office. (Amend. of 4-2-83, Prop. No. 4; Amend. of 8-12-89, Prop. No. 1; Amend. of 5-3-97, Prop. No. 7; Amend. of 11-8-05, Prop. No. 6; Amend. of 11-5-24)
All qualified voters of the city shall be entitled to vote for a candidate in Place 15. The qualified voters of the respective districts shall be entitled to vote for one candidate from Place 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, or 14, corresponding to the district of which the voter is a resident. (Amend. of 4-3-76, Prop. No. 1; Amend. of 8-12-89, Prop. No. 1; Amend. of 5-1-93, Prop. No. 1)
(a) The city shall be divided into 14 districts, known as Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14.
(b) Redistricting commission.
(1) Not later than 30 days after the city council is briefed on the federal decennial census taken in the prior year, each member of the city council shall appoint one member of the redistricting commission. The mayor shall designate the chair of the redistricting commission, subject to confirmation by a majority of the city council. In making such appointments, the city council and the mayor shall, as nearly as may be practicable, provide fair and balanced representation of all geographical areas of the city in the redistricting process and provide a total membership that reflects the racial and ethnic makeup of the city’s population. Members of the redistricting commission shall be appointed to serve a term that will end upon completion of the redistricting commission’s work.
(2) Persons appointed to the redistricting commission must meet the qualifications for service on a city commission. A member of the redistricting commission is not eligible to be a candidate for a place on the city council in the next succeeding general election of the city, and may not be appointed or elected to the city council or to any other official board or commission of the city for a period of one year after service on the redistricting commission. The following persons are not eligible to serve on the redistricting commission:
(A) a current member of the city council or the spouse of a current member of the city council or any family member within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity;
(B) a person or the spouse of a person who has been appointed to or elected to any elective federal, state, county, or city office during the three years before the appointment date;
(C) the campaign manager, treasurer, or staff member of any candidate for federal, state, county, or city elected office during the five years before the appointment date;
(D) a registered lobbyist or spouse of a lobbyist registered with the city, county, state, or federal government;
(E) a person or spouse of a person who works for the city or who works with or for any current member of the city council;
(F) a person or spouse of a person who has a contractual relationship with the city, has had a contractual relationship with the city within three years before the date of appointment, has a contractual relationship with any current member of the city council or the spouse of a current city council member; or has had a contractual relationship with any current member of the city council or the spouse of a current city council member within three years before the date of appointment (this paragraph does not apply to non- negotiated, form contracts for general city services or benefits if the city services or benefits are made available to the person or spouse on the same terms that they are made available to the general public); or
(G) a person who, in accordance with this charter, city ordinances, or written city policy, is ineligible for appointment to a city board or commission.
(3) The redistricting commission shall draw the districts in compliance with the following guidelines:
(A) The districts shall be substantially equal in population according to the total population count as presented in the census data, except where deviation is required to comply with federal law or is allowable by law.
(B) In addition to the requirements of federal law, there shall be no discrimination on the basis of race, color, or membership in a language minority group, and the voting strength of racial, ethnic, and language minorities in the districts shall not be diluted to deprive minority voters of an equal opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice.
(C) The districts shall be geographically compact, to the extent possible, and composed of contiguous territory.
(D) The reconfiguration of districts shall be neutral as to incumbents or potential candidates.
(E) Communities of interest shall be placed in a single district and attempts should be made to avoid splitting neighborhoods, where possible without violating the other requirements.
(F) The redistricting commission may adopt any other requirements of federal or state law.
(4) The redistricting commission shall promptly convene in such sessions as are necessary, including public hearings, to develop, prepare, and recommend a districting plan that proposes the respective boundaries of the various districts comprising the city council under this Charter.
(5) City council members may not have contact, directly or indirectly, with a redistricting commission member, or with redistricting commission staff, with respect to redistricting, except by testimony in an open meeting. Redistricting commission members may not engage in any discussions, directly or indirectly, regarding redistricting or the work of the redistricting commission with city council members, except during an open meeting or by written communication given to the entire redistricting commission. If a redistricting commission member engages in a prohibited discussion or violates the Texas Open Meetings Act, the redistricting commission may, by majority vote, remove the commissioner from the redistricting commission.
(6) Upon completion of its work, the redistricting commission shall file its recommended districting plan with the mayor. The mayor shall present the recommended plan to the city council at its next meeting. The city council shall adopt the plan as submitted or shall modify and adopt the plan, in either case within 45 days of receipt by the mayor. Any modification or change to the plan must be made in open session at a city council meeting, with a written explanation of the need for the modification or change and a copy of the proposed map with the modification or change made available to the public 72 hours before a vote, and the proposed plan must be approved by a vote of three-fourths of the members of the city council. If final action is not taken by the city council within 45 days after the plan was presented to the mayor, then the recommended plan of the redistricting commission will become the final districting plan for the city.
(7) The districting plan developed in accordance with this section must be implemented at the next general election of the city council conducted at least 90 days following the date the final districting plan becomes effective for the city. (Amend. of 8-12-89, Prop. Nos. 1 and 4; Amend. of 5-1-93, Prop. No. 1; Amend. of 11-8-05, Prop. No. 7; Amend. of 11-4-14, Prop. No. 6; Amend. of 11-5-24)
(a) No person shall be eligible as a candidate for member of council, Place 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, or 14, unless the person is at the time a bona fide resident of District 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, or 14, respectively, has resided continuously in Texas for 12 months, and has resided within the district in which the person is a candidate for a period of at least six months prior to the date of the regular filing deadline for a candidate’s application for a place on the ballot. Any person elected to a place representing a district must continuously reside in the district during that person's term of office. A candidate for member of council, Place 15, may be a resident of any portion of the city, must have resided continuously in the city for a period of at least six months and continuously in Texas for 12 months prior to the date of the regular filing deadline for a candidate’s application for a place on the ballot, and must continuously reside within the city during the person’s term of office.
(b) If the district in which a person will have resided for at least six months prior to the date of an election will change because of the relocation of a district boundary, the person is eligible to become a candidate:
(1) for the new district assigned to the person’s residence; or
(2) for the previous district of the person’s residence if the person moves to a residence within the revised boundaries of that district prior to becoming a candidate for election.
(c) No person may appear on the official ballot as a candidate for a place on the city council unless that person files with the city secretary a signed, sworn, and dated affidavit certifying compliance with the residency requirements of this section, except that a sworn application for a place on the ballot filed with the city secretary in accordance with the Texas Election Code will satisfy the requirements of this paragraph. (Amend. of 4-3-76, Prop. No. 1; Amend. of 8-12-89, Prop. No. 1; Amend. of 5-1-93, Prop. No. 1; Amend. of 11-5-24)
A person desiring to become a candidate for the city council shall file with the city secretary, within the time required by the Texas Election Code, as amended, an application for a place on the ballot and a petition signed by qualified voters of the city eligible to vote for the candidate equal in number to the minimum number of signatures required for a candidate petition by the Texas Election Code, as amended. Each application and petition must comply in form, content, and procedure with the Texas Election Code, as amended. (Amend. of 6-12-73, Prop. No. 11; Amend. of 4-2-83, Prop. No. 2; Amend. of 8-12-89, Prop. No. 1; Amend. of 5-1-93, Prop. No. 6)
The places on the official ballot shall be designated as “Member of Council, Place No. ,” designating the place numbers for which the voters in each district are eligible to vote, with Place 15 designated as mayor and being the first in order and the others being in numerical order, and the candidate’s name shall appear in the place for which the candidate’s petition and application were filed. The city secretary shall make up the official ballot from the names presented to the city secretary in the manner required by this Charter. The order in which the names of the candidates for each place must appear on the ballot will be determined by lot, in a drawing held under the supervision of the city secretary. (Amend. of 4-3-76, Prop. No. 1; Amend. of 8-12-89, Prop. No. 1; Amend. of 5-1-93, Prop. No. 6)
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