Section 4.01. REGULAR MUNICIPAL ELECTION. A regular municipal election shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year at such place or places as the city council may designate. The city administrator shall give at least two weeks’ publication notice of the time and place of holding such election, and of the officers to be elected. At least one week before the election the city administrator shall publish a sample ballot in the official newspaper and post a sample ballot at appropriate locations for public inspection. Failure to give such a notice or to make such publication or posting shall not invalidate the election.
Section 4.011. PRIMARY MUNICIPAL ELECTION. The City shall establish a primary election to coincide with state primary elections. No later than the next city council meeting after the adoption of this Charter change, the council shall designate each council seat, whether occupied or not, by a separate numerical number or letter of the alphabet and assign each council member to one of the seats, with the mayor assigned as mayor. Each council seat and the office of mayor so designated, shall be a separate office for each subsequent election. Any incumbent member of the council filing for re-election shall be a candidate only for the office of which he/she is the incumbent, except in the case where an incumbent council member files for the office of mayor. Each person filing for the office of council member shall state in his/her affidavit of candidacy, the designated council seat that he/she is a candidate for. If less than three candidates file for any one seat, the candidates or candidate shall proceed to the general or special election. Incumbency shall not be designated on the ballot.
(Ord. 16-758, passed 6-28-2016; Ord. 18-781, passed 3-27-2019)
Section 4.02. SPECIAL ELECTIONS. The council may by resolution order a special election and provide all means for holding it. Except as provided in Section 2.09, the city administrator shall give at least two weeks’ published notice of a special election. The procedure at such election shall conform as nearly as possible to that prescribed for other City elections, including a primary municipal election if an elective office is to be filled at the special election. Special elections shall be held on those dates permitted by Minnesota law.
In the event that there is only one official candidate on the ballot for the vacant council seat, the special election for the council seat may be canceled by the city council on its own motion pursuant to M.S. § 205.10, Subd. 6 and that candidate shall be appointed to serve the remainder of the unexpired term for the vacant council seat.
(Ord. 16-758, passed 6-28-2016; Ord. 18-781, passed 3-27-2019)
Section 4.03. FILING FOR OFFICE. No earlier than 60 days or later than 45 days before the municipal primary election, or such other time periods mandated by law, any registered voter of the City qualified under the state constitution for elective office may, by filing an affidavit of candidacy for a designated elective office and paying a filing fee of $20 to the city administrator, have such voter’s name placed on the municipal primary election ballot. Absentee ballots shall be available 30 days prior to the primary or regular municipal election. Each such candidate who is not eliminated in the municipal primary election becomes a candidate for the designated elective office for which such candidate has filed, and shall be placed on the regular municipal election ballot.
Section 4.04. PROCEDURE AT ELECTIONS. Subject to this Charter and applicable state laws, the council may by ordinance further regulate the conduct of municipal elections. Except as otherwise provided in this Charter and supplementary ordinances, general state laws on elections shall apply to municipal elections.