Article II — ELECTIONS

Elections to be held in the City for the purpose of electing officers of said City and for all other purposes are of two (2) kinds: General Municipal Elections

Special Municipal Elections (Amended by election November 8, 1994)

The City is hereby divided into five (5) wards, numbered consecutively from one (1) to five (5), inclusive, the respective boundaries of which shall be as established on the effective date of this section; provided, that the Council shall by ordinance change such boundaries from time to time to provide equal representation among the five (5) wards in compliance with the one person - one vote principle. The qualified electors of the City shall elect one member of the Council from the ward in which the residents are registered to vote.

(Amended by election November 8, 2016)

For filling the elective offices of Mayor and five (5) Council Members, a general municipal election must be held on the same date as the State of California general election and consolidated therewith. Municipal measures may also be submitted to the electorate at said general municipal election, as well as at special elections called for the purpose. As determined by the ranked choice voting process detailed in the ordinance the Council must enact under Section 207, the officers elected are those who receive the majority of votes for each office at said general municipal election.

(Amended by election on November 8, 1994; Amended by election November 2, 2010; Amended by election November 3, 2020)

At each municipal election the number of Council Members to be elected shall be equal to the number of terms to expire at the ensuing first regular meeting of the Council, as the case may be, following the general municipal election date. (Amended by election November 2, 2010)

On the first regular meeting date of the City Council after any municipal election has been canvassed and certified, the Council shall meet at its regular meeting place to declare the results thereof. Newly elected officers shall be installed in their respective offices as provided in Section 205 of this Charter.

(Amended by election on November 5, 2002)

All elected officers, after they have qualified as provided in this Charter, shall take office at the first regular meeting of the body to which they have been elected after the general municipal election has been canvassed and certified and shall hold their office for the term of four years or until their successors are elected and qualified. (Amended by election on November 5, 2002)

Special municipal elections shall be held on such dates as fixed by the Council therefor except as otherwise provided in this Charter.

The Council by ordinance must provide for conducting municipal elections. In the elections of the Mayor and Council Member, the Council must provide for Ranked Choice Voting. Except as provided by this Charter or the Election Ordinance, the provisions of the Elections Code of the State of California pertaining to municipal elections, as amended from time to time, govern. (Amended by election November 3, 2020)

No person may serve more than two consecutive full terms as Mayor. If a person serves a partial term in excess of two years, it shall be considered a full term for the purpose of this provision. Nothing in this section shall act as a bar to service as Mayor a previously elected or appointed Mayor after at least four years absence from office. (Amended by election on June 7, 1994; Amended by election November 2, 2010)

No person may serve more than two consecutive full terms as a Council Member. If a person serves a partial term in excess of two years, it shall be considered a full term for the purpose of this provision. Nothing in this section shall act as a bar to service as Council Member a previously elected or appointed Council Member after at least four years absence from office. (Amended by election on June 7, 1994; Amended by election November 2, 2010)