Councilmembers shall be elected from the Municipality at large unless the residents of the Municipality have voted to elect its Councilmembers by wards. Councilmembers shall serve for a term of four (4) years and shall be a resident and qualified elector. If the election of Councilmembers takes place by wards, each nominee for Councilmember shall be a resident and qualified elector of the ward for which he is a candidate, and only residents of that ward may sign the candidate’s nomination petitions. (Ref. 32-533 RS Neb.)