Article I. ELECTIONS

CHAPTER 83-498

House Bill No. 742

An act relating to Palm Beach County; providing for legislative intent; providing uniform filing dates and uniform election dates for municipal elections; providing for terms of office; providing for correspondence of terms of municipal office to the common dates provided in this act; providing that the general law for absentee ballots shall apply to all absentee ballots in municipal elections; providing for exemptions; providing an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

Section 1. It is the intent of this act to provide for uniform filing and election dates for all municipal elections to elect municipal officers in Palm Beach County. It is not the intent of this act to determine the length of terms of municipal offices.

Section 2. Candidates for any municipal office in Palm Beach County shall file such papers and pay such fees as may be required by law with the applicable municipal clerk no earlier than noon on the last Tuesday in January, nor later than noon on the second Tuesday in February of the calendar year in which the election is to be held. The names of all candidates and the offices for which they have filed shall be received by the supervisor of elections from the municipal clerks by 5:00 p.m. on the first Friday after the close of qualifying.

Section 3. Any election relating to a municipal office, other than runoff elections held pursuant to section 4 of this act or special elections, shall be held on the second Tuesday in March of the calendar year.

Section 4. Any municipality which by charter or local ordinance requires that a runoff election be held in the event no candidate receives a majority of the votes for an office shall hold such election on the fourth Tuesday in March of the calendar year.

Section 5. Municipal officers elected pursuant to this act shall take office no later than the last day in March of the year in which they are elected, with the specific day to be decided by local ordinance.

Section 6. Initially, any municipal officer whose term of office expires subsequent to July 1 in any calendar year shall stand for reelection in March of the following calendar year and shall continue in office until the election of his successor. Initially, any municipal officer whose term of office expires prior to and including July 1 in any calendar year shall stand for reelection in March of that calendar year. The provisions of this section shall apply only to the first election for each office to be held under the provisions of the act. Thereafter, the terms of all municipal offices shall correspond to the dates provided pursuant to this act.

Section 7. The general law in regard to absentee ballots shall apply to all absentee ballots for municipal elections, except that the words "municipal clerk" shall be substituted whenever the word "supervisor" appears in those sections concerning absentee ballots. However, the supervisor of elections may handle absentee ballots for any municipality which so requests.

Section 8. The provisions of this act shall supercede any municipal charter provisions; however, the governing body of any municipality may exempt itself from the provisions of sections (1) through (7) of this section [act] by adopting an ordinance declaring its exemption. Also, the governing body of any municipality may, by ordinance and without referendum, amend its municipal charter to conform to the provisions of this act.

Section 9. This act shall take effect January 2, 1984. Became a law without the governor's approval. Filed in the office of the secretary of state on June 14, 1983.