N.Y. Town Law § 85: Ward 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.