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PROPOSED LANGUAGE FOR INCLUDING PRIMARY ELECTIONS <br /> (To be included in Chapter 4 ; possibly as §4 . 03 and <br /> re-number subsequent sections ; existing §4 . 03 would become <br /> §4 . 04 . ) <br /> Section 4 . 03 Primary Elections . On a Tuesday at least <br /> four weeks in advance of the regular municipal election as <br /> determined by the council , such as concurrent with a statewide <br /> primary , there shall be a primary election for the selection of <br /> two nominees for each office to be filled at the municipal <br /> election , unless no more than four times the number of <br /> candidates to be elected file for any elective office . No <br /> primary shall be required in the event a special election <br /> is required regardless of the number of candidates filing <br /> for office . <br /> Comments : <br /> 1 . Most of the above language is from p . 6 of the comments <br /> to the Model Charter . I have added the clause " such as <br /> concurrent with a statewide primary . " Also I have added <br /> the last sentence . <br /> 2 . Our discussions emphasized a primary should only occur <br /> when the ratio of candidates to the number of vacancies <br /> exceeded a four to one ratio . I used those numbers even <br /> for the mayor ' s race . The Model Charter primary language <br /> narrows the field whenever three or more file, to a race <br /> between two people for each office . The higher ratio <br /> means primaries may not always be required . Also it <br /> presents a ballot of no more than 8 council candidates <br /> for two council seats . If ten file , a primary would <br /> reduce that number to four nominees running for two seats . <br /> When no primary is held because 8 people file for two seats , <br /> the ballot would hold 8 names . Is this acceptable to us ? <br /> 3 . One reason to support a primary is to reduce the number <br /> of candidates to a reasonable number about whom the voters <br /> can reasonably inform themselves . Another reason is to <br /> eliminate candidates with little public backing from the <br /> general election ballot . A third reason is perhaps to <br /> give voters an opportunity to replace incumbents who can <br /> barely gather a plurality of voter support but succeed <br /> because of the quantity of candidates . <br />