19-204b. Election of Sherman county commissioners at large; when allowed. (a) The board of county commissioners of Sherman county may provide for the election of county commissioners in accordance with this section. The procedure for the election of county commissioners shall be adopted by resolution in accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 19-204, and amendments thereto. The resolution shall be in substantial compliance with the provisions of subsection (b). Any county commissioner whose term has not expired by the time the resolution has been adopted by the voters of Sherman county, Kansas, shall continue to serve until a successor county commissioner is elected.

(b) (1) Each county commissioner shall run at large. Each candidate for county commissioner may reside anywhere within Sherman county, Kansas.

(2) All electors who are otherwise qualified according to law and who reside in Sherman county, Kansas, may vote in both the primary and general election for each county commissioner being elected. Each candidate shall file for the office of county commissioner in the manner provided by law. Elections for the office of county commissioner shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of article 25 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, and amendments thereto, except as provided in this section, and amendments thereto.

(3) (A) Primary elections under this section shall be conducted on a partisan basis. In the primary election, each qualified voter shall be allowed to vote for the same number of candidates as the number of county commissioners being elected. For each county commissioner being elected, the candidate receiving the highest number of votes shall appear on the ballot in the general election.

(B) No person shall be permitted to cast more than one vote for any specific candidate.

(4) In the general election, each qualified voter shall be allowed to vote for the same number of candidates as the number of county commissioners being elected. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes for each office of county commissioner being elected shall be deemed to have been elected to such office.

(c) (1) The provisions of this section shall expire on December 31, 2010, unless the qualified voters of Sherman county, Kansas, elect to adopt the provisions of this section prior to such date.

(2) If a majority of the qualified electors voting on the resolution submitted to the voters pursuant to this section who reside within the corporate limits of the city of Goodland, Kansas, and a majority of the qualified electors voting on such resolution who reside outside of the corporate limits of the city of Goodland, Kansas, vote in favor thereof, the resolution shall be implemented in the manner provided by the resolution. If a majority of the electors who reside within the corporate limits of the city of Goodland, Kansas or a majority of the qualified electors who reside outside of the corporate limits of the city of Goodland, Kansas, vote against such resolution, the proposed resolution shall not be implemented.

History: L. 2009, ch. 134, § 2; May 28.