New York § 85 - 85Ward system for election of council members

§ 85. 85Ward system for election of council members

§ 85. Ward system for election of council members. 1. Whenever a proposition shall have been adopted in a town of the first class for the establishment of the ward system and the election thereafter of one council member from each ward, the board of elections of the county in which such town is situate shall divide the town into four wards and fix the boundaries thereof, unless a proposition shall have been adopted to increase the number of council members from four to six, in which instance, the board of elections shall divide the town into six wards and fix the boundaries thereof. In so dividing the town into wards, no town election district shall be divided and no election district thereafter created under the election law shall contain parts of two or more wards. So far as possible the division shall be so made that the number of voters in each ward shall be approximately equal. When the board of elections shall have finally determined the boundaries of the wards, they shall cause a map of the town to be prepared showing in detail the location of each ward and the boundaries thereof. The original map so made shall be filed in the office of the town clerk and copies thereof shall be filed in the offices of the county clerk and the board of elections of the county. The ward system shall be deemed established after such filing is complete. After a ward system shall have been so established, the term of office of every town council member shall terminate on the thirty-first day of December next succeeding the first biennial town election held not less than one hundred twenty days after the establishment of such ward system, and at such biennial town election, and every biennial town election thereafter, one resident elector of each ward shall be elected as council member therefrom for a term of two years beginning on the first day of January next succeeding such election. 2. The ward system may be abolished upon the adoption of a proposition therefor at any special or biennial town election. At the first biennial town election held at least one hundred twenty days after the adoption of a proposition to abolish the ward system for election of council members, the electors of the town shall elect one-half of the total number of town council members for the term of two years each and one-half of the total number of town council members for the term of four years each. At each biennial town election held thereafter there shall be elected one-half of the total number of town council members for the term of four years each. The terms of all such council members shall begin on the first day of January next succeeding the date of their election.