65 ILCS 5/5-2-18.7
2021 Illinois Compiled Statutes|Chapter 65 - MUNICIPALITIES|65 ILCS 5/ - Illinois Municipal Code.|Article 5 - Managerial Form Of Municipal Government

 (from Ch. 24, par. 5-2-18.7)Sec. 5-2-18.7. In any city which has adopted this Article, and is electing the city  council at large or has elected to choose alderpersons from wards, a  proposition to elect part of the city council at large and part from  districts with staggered four year terms and biennial elections for  councilmen shall be submitted to the electors upon initiation in the manner  herein provided.Electors of such city, equal in number to not less than 10% of the  total vote cast for all candidates for mayor in the last preceding  municipal election for such office, may petition for submission, or, in  the alternative, the city council may by  ordinance without a petition cause to be submitted, to a vote of the  electors of that city the proposition whether part of the city council  shall be elected at large and part from districts with staggered four  year terms and biennial elections for councilmen. The petition shall be  in the same form as prescribed in Section 5-1-6, except that the  petition shall be modified as to the wording of the proposition to be  voted upon, to conform to the wording of the proposition as hereinafter  set forth, and shall be filed with the city clerk in accordance with the  general election law. The city clerk shall certify the proposition to the  proper election authorities who shall submit the proposition at an election  in accordance with the general election law.However, such proposition shall not be submitted at  the general primary election for the municipality.The proposition shall be substantially in the  following form:  --------------------------------------------------------------Shall the city of....elect part of the councilmen at large      YESand part of the councilmen from        -----------------------districts with staggered four year         NOterms and biennial elections?--------------------------------------------------------------If a majority of those voting on the proposition vote "yes", then at  the next general municipal election at which a mayor is to be elected, a  mayor and councilmen shall be elected as hereinafter provided.In cities of less than 50,000 population, the council shall consist  of the mayor and 6 councilmen, 2 councilmen being elected at large and 4  councilmen being elected from districts. In cities of 50,000 and not  more than 500,000 population, the council shall consist of the mayor and  8 councilmen, 3 councilmen being elected at large and 5 councilmen being  elected from districts.The city council shall divide the city, whenever necessary  thereafter, into districts which shall be of as compact and contiguous  territory as practicable and of approximately equal population. The  number of such districts shall be the same as the number of councilmen  to be elected from districts.One councilman who is an actual resident of the district, shall be  elected from each district. Only the electors of a district shall elect  a councilman from that district. The rest of the number of councilmen  authorized shall be elected at large.The term of office of the Mayor and Councilmen shall be 4 years,  provided that at the first election the Councilmen elected at large  shall serve for 2 years only. Thereafter the election of Councilmen  shall be biennial, and after the first election the Mayor and all  Councilmen shall be elected for 4 year terms to fill expiring terms of  incumbents.The Mayor and Councilmen shall hold their respective offices for the  term of 4 years as herein provided, and until their successors are  elected and qualified. Upon the election and qualification of the  Councilmen, the terms of all sitting alderpersons or councilmen elected at  large pursuant to the provisions of Section 5-2-12 shall expire.For the first primary election a distinct ballot shall be printed for each  district. At the top of the ballot shall be the following:  CANDIDATES FOR NOMINATION FOR MAYOR (when Mayor is to be elected) AND  COUNCILMEN OF THE CITY OF.... AT THE PRIMARY ELECTION. Under the  subtitle of FOR MAYOR (when applicable) shall be placed the following:  (VOTE FOR ONE). There shall be placed below the names of the candidates  for Mayor, if any, another subtitle as follows: FOR COUNCILMEN AT  LARGE. Following this subtitle there shall be an instruction in this  form, to be altered, however, to conform to the facts: (VOTE FOR NOT MORE THAN....)  (Insert number of Councilmen being elected). Following the names of the  candidates for councilmen at large, there shall be another subtitle in  the following form: FOR DISTRICT COUNCILMAN. Following this subtitle  there shall be the following direction: (VOTE FOR ONE). In other  respects the ballots shall conform to the applicable provisions of  Sections 4-3-10 and 5-2-13.To determine the number of nominees who shall be placed on the ballot  under each subtitle at the general municipal election, the number of  officers who will be chosen under each subtitle shall be multiplied by  2. Only those candidates at the primary election shall be nominees under  each subtitle at the general municipal election and, where but one  officer is to be elected, the 2 candidates receiving the highest number  of votes shall be placed upon the ballot for the next succeeding general  municipal election. Where 2 councilmen are to be elected, the 4  candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be placed upon  the ballot. Where 3 councilmen are to be elected, the names of the 6  candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be placed upon  the ballot.The ballots for the election of officers at the first general  municipal election shall be prepared in compliance with Section 4-3-16,  with the following changes:(1) Following the names of the candidates for Mayor (when  applicable) there shall be printed a subtitle: FOR COUNCILMAN AT LARGE:  following this subtitle shall be an instruction in this form: (VOTE FOR  NOT MORE THAN ....) (Insert number of councilmen to be elected). The names of the  nominees for councilmen at large shall follow the instruction.(2) Following the names of the nominees for councilmen at large  shall be printed another subtitle: FOR DISTRICT COUNCILMAN. Following  this subtitle shall be an instruction in this form: (VOTE FOR ONE) and  following this instruction shall be printed the names of the 2 nominees.Thereafter, the ballots for the biennial election shall be prepared  as hereinafter provided.For the primary election at which Councilmen at large are to be  elected the form of the ballot shall be as follows:At the top of the ballot shall be the following: CANDIDATES FOR  NOMINATION FOR MAYOR (when Mayor is to be elected) AND COUNCILMEN OF THE  CITY OF.... AT THE PRIMARY ELECTION. Under the subtitle of FOR MAYOR  (when applicable) shall be placed the following: (VOTE FOR ONE). There  shall be placed below the names of the candidates for Mayor, if any,  another subtitle as follows: FOR COUNCILMEN AT LARGE. Following this  subtitle there shall be an instruction in this form, to be altered,  however, to conform to the facts: (VOTE FOR NOT MORE THAN....) (Insert number of  Councilmen being elected).For the primary election at which District Councilmen are to be  elected, a distinct ballot shall be printed for each District. There  shall be placed below the names of the candidates for Mayor (when  applicable) another subtitle as follows: FOR DISTRICT COUNCILMAN.  Following this subtitle there shall be an instruction in this form:  VOTE FOR ONE. In all other respects the ballot shall conform to the  applicable provisions of Sections 4-3-10 and 5-2-13.To determine the number of nominees who shall be placed on the ballot  under each subtitle at the general municipal election, the number of  officers who will be chosen under each subtitle shall be multiplied by  2. Only those candidates at the primary election shall be nominees under  each subtitle at the general municipal election and, where but one  officer is to be elected, the 2 candidates receiving the highest number  of votes shall be placed upon the ballot for the next succeeding general  municipal election. Where 2 councilmen are to be elected, the 4  candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be placed upon  the ballot. Where 3 councilmen are to be elected, the names of the 6  candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be placed upon  the ballot.The ballots for the election of officers at the general municipal  election shall be prepared in compliance with Section 4-3-16, with the  following changes:(1) For elections where candidates for Councilmen at large are being  elected, following the names of candidates for Mayor (when applicable)  there shall be printed a subtitle as follows: FOR COUNCILMEN AT LARGE.  Following this subtitle there shall be an instruction in this form:  (VOTE FOR NOT MORE THAN....) (Insert number of Councilmen to be elected). The names  of the nominees for Councilmen at large shall follow the instruction.(2) For elections where district Councilmen are to be elected, a  distinct ballot shall be printed for each district, and following the  names of the candidates for Mayor (when applicable) there shall be  printed a subtitle as follows: FOR DISTRICT COUNCILMAN. Following this  subtitle there shall be an instruction in this form: (VOTE FOR ONE) and  following this instruction shall be printed the names of the 2 nominees  for district Councilman.Vacancies shall be filled as prescribed in Section 5-2-12, provided  that a vacancy in the office of a District Councilman shall be filled by  a person who is an actual resident of the district in which the vacancy  occurs.  (Source: P.A. 102-15, eff. 6-17-21.)