Elections
Section 3.1. Qualifications of electors.
The residents of the city having the qualifications of electors in the State of Michigan shall be electors in the city.
Section 3.2. Procedure.
The election of all city officers shall be on a non-partisan basis. The general election statutes shall apply to and control all procedures relating to city elections, including qualification of electors, establishment of precincts, verification or petitions, registration of voters and voting hours. The clerk shall give public notice of each city election in the same manner as is required by law for the giving of public notice of general elections in the state.
Section 3.3. Precincts.
The election precincts of city shall remain as they existed on the effective date of this Charter unless altered by the elections commission in accordance with statutes.
Section 3.4. Date of regular city elections.
A non-partisan regular city election shall be held on the first Tuesday following the first Monday of November of the odd numbered years.
Section 3.5. Date of special elections.
Special city elections shall be held when called by resolution of the council at least sixty days in advance of such election, or when required by law. Any resolution calling a special election shall set forth the purpose of such election.
Section 3.6. Notice.
Notice of the time and place of holding any city election and of the officers to be nominated or elected and the questions to be voted upon shall be given by the clerk as provided in the state election law for the giving of notice by city clerks.
Section 3.7. Voting hours.
The polls of all elections shall be opened and closed at the time prescribed by law for the opening and closing of polls at state elections.
Section 3.8. Nominations – Generally.
The method of nomination for all candidates for city elections shall be by petitions. Such petitions for each candidate shall be signed by not less than fifteen registered electors of the city. No person shall sign his name to a greater number of petitions for any one office than there are persons to be elected to said office at the following regular city election. Where the signature of any individual appears on more petitions than he is permitted to sign, the signatures bearing the most recent date shall be invalidated. Nomination petitions shall be filed with the clerk up to 4:00 p.m. eastern standard time of the first Tuesday following the first Monday in August of the odd numbered years. The clerk shall publish notice of the last day permitted for filing nomination petitions and of the number of persons to be elected to each office at least one week and not more than three weeks before such last day.
Section 3.9. Same -- Form of petition.
The form of petition shall be substantially as that designated by the Secretary of State for the nomination of non-partisan officers. The clerk shall provide and maintain a supply of official petition forms.
Section 3.10. Same -- Approval of petition.
The clerk shall accept only nomination petitions which conform with the forms provided and maintained by him, and which, considered together, contain the required number of valid signatures for candidates having those qualifications required for the respective elective city offices by this Charter. When a petition is filed by persons other than the person whose name appears thereon as a candidate, it shall be accepted only when accompanied by the written consent of the candidate. The clerk shall, forthwith after the filing of a petition, notify in writing any candidate whose petition is then found not to meet the requirements of this section, but the failure to so notify any candidate shall in no way prevent a final determination that the petition does not meet such requirements. Within there days after the last date of filling petitions, the clerk shall make his final determinations as to the validity and sufficiency of each nomination petition and whether or not the candidate has the qualifications required for his respective elective city office by this Charter and shall write his determinations thereof on the face of the petition and shall notify in writing the candidate whose name appears thereon of his determinations. Such notice to any candidate whose petitions are so found to be invalid or insufficient shall be allowed to file supplementary or replacement petitions before 4:00 o’clock in the afternoon on the sixth day after the last date for filing original petitions. The names of the candidates for the respective elective city offices who file valid and sufficient nomination petitions shall be certified by the clerk to the election commission to be placed upon the ballot for the next subsequent regular city election or the next special election for the filling of vacancies in office, as the case may be.
Section 3.11. Same -- Candidate to run for only one office.
The clerk shall not accept nominating petitions for the election of any candidate for more than the office. However, if a candidate withdraws his petitions for election to any elective office prior to the last day for filling petitions, he may thereafter file petitions for another office prior to the last day for filing petitions.
Section 3.12. Same -- Withdrawal of candidate.
After the filing of a nomination petition by or in behalf of a proposed candidate for a city office, such candidate shall not be permitted to withdraw unless a written notice of withdrawal is served on the city clerk not later than 4:00 o’clock, eastern standard time, in the afternoon of the third day after the last day for filing petitions as in this Charter provided, unless the third day falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, in which case the notice of withdrawal may be served on the clerk up to 4:00 p.m. o’clock, eastern standard time, on the next secular day.
Section 3.13. Same -- Public inspection of petitions.
All nomination petitions filed shall be open to public inspection in the office of the clerk.
Section 3.14. Election commission created; composition; duties; compensation.
An election commission is hereby created consisting of the city clerk, as chairman, the city attorney and the city assessor. The election commission shall appoint the board of election inspectors for each precinct and shall have charge of all activities and duties required of it by law relating to the conduct of elections in the city. The compensation of the election personnel shall be determined in advance by the city council. In any case when election procedure is in doubt, the election commission shall prescribe the procedure to be followed.
Section 3.15. Form of ballot.
The ballots for all elections under this Charter shall conform to the printing and numbering of ballots as required by statue, except that no party designation or emblem shall appear on any city ballot.
Section 3.16. Board of canvassers.
A board of canvassers shall be appointed in accordance with state law.
Section 3.17. Custody and safekeeping of registration books and supplies.
The clerk shall be responsible for the custody and safekeeping of all registration books and supplies. On election day, he shall deliver them to the respective board of inspectors of election, taking their receipt therefore.
Section 3.18. Absentee ballots.
The electors of the city shall be entitled to vote by absentee ballots at any city election as provided by law.
Section 3.19. Determination of election ending in tie vote.
If, at any city election, there shall be no choice between candidates by reason of two or more persons having received an equal number of votes, then the Newaygo County Board of Canvassers shall name a date within five days after said election for the appearance of such persons for the purpose of determining the election of such candidates by lot as provided by statute.
Section 3.20. Recount.
A recount of the voters cast at any city election for any office or upon any proposition may be had in accordance with election statutes.
Section 3.21. Purity of election; lawful and unlawful acts.
All laws of the State of Michigan now in force or hereinafter enacted relating to the purity of elections, and as to what are lawful and what are unlawful acts, shall apply to all elections held under this chapter.
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