Section 11-43A-9 Election of Municipal Officers; Division of Municipality into Districts; Qualifications and Eligibility of Candidates; Runoff Election; Term of Office; Exception for Class 6 Cities.

(a) In all cities to which this section applies, except Class 6 cities wherein the municipal governing body has elected to have a nine-member council, as authorized in Section 11-43A-8, the election for the first officers of the municipality shall be held on the same date as the date of election for the next ensuing general municipal election. Except as otherwise provided for in Section 11-43A-1.1, the election of the governing body of the municipality shall cause the municipality to be divided into three districts containing as nearly an equal number of people as possible. Candidates shall qualify in the manner prescribed in the general municipal election laws and shall have the qualifications and eligibility set forth therein. Each candidate shall announce that he or she is to become a candidate for mayor, or councilman-at-large, or if he or she desires to become a candidate for one of the three district posts, either district post 1, district post 2, or district post 3. A candidate for a district position shall reside in his or her district. Each voter in the election may cast one vote for a candidate for mayor, one vote for a councilman-at-large, and one vote for the candidate from the district in which he or she resides. Any candidate receiving a majority of the total votes cast for mayor, councilman-at-large, district post 1, district post 2, and district post 3 shall be elected. In the event no candidate receives a majority for a place on the council there shall be a runoff election for such place held in the manner prescribed by the general municipal election laws. The councilmen elected shall take office as herein provided. Each councilman shall hold office for four years and shall serve until his or her successor shall have been elected and qualified. (b) In Class 6 cities wherein the municipal governing body has elected to have a nine-member council as authorized in Section 11-43A-8, the election for the first officers of the municipality shall be held on the same date as the date of election for the next ensuing general municipal election. Before such election the governing body of the municipality shall cause the municipality to be divided into four districts containing as nearly an equal number of people as possible. Candidates shall qualify in the manner prescribed in the general municipal election laws and shall have the qualifications and eligibility set forth therein. Each candidate shall announce that he or she is to become a candidate for mayor, or if he or she desires to become a candidate for one of the eight district posts, either district 1 post 1, district 1 post 2, district 2 post 1, district 2 post 2, district 3 post 1, district 3 post 2, district 4 post 1, or district 4 post 2. A candidate for a district position shall reside in his or her district. The municipal governing body shall have the authority by ordinance to establish geographic boundaries of approximately equal population for each of the two posts in any or all of the four districts. The ordinance of the city required by the preceding sentence shall be adopted no later than 75 days prior to the date of the election with respect to which the establishment of districts is to be effective. In establishing any such posts within a district, the city shall not be required to comply with Section 11-43A-33 except with respect to elections held subsequent to the publication of a federal census or population subsequent to the 1990 federal census of population. Each voter in the election may cast one vote for a candidate for mayor and one vote for a candidate for each of the two posts for the district in which he or she resides unless the municipal governing body has designated geographic boundaries for the two posts in a district. If the governing body has designated by ordinance geographic post boundaries for a district, then each voter within that district may cast one vote for a candidate for the post position within the district geographic boundaries where he or she resides. Any candidate receiving a majority of the total votes cast for mayor, or for a district post shall be elected. In the event no candidate receives a majority for a place on the council there shall be a runoff election for such place held in the manner prescribed by the general municipal election laws. The councilmen elected shall take office as herein provided. Councilmen elected hereunder, each, shall hold office for four years and shall serve until his or her successor shall have been elected and qualified.