By Greg Mackay, Administrator, Knox County Election Commission

January 12, 2011

In 2011, there will be two elections in the City of Knoxville: a primary election on September 27 and a regular (also known as a general) election on November 8.  There will be six elective offices on the ballot.

• Mayor
• Municipal Judge
• City Council At-large, Seat A
• City Council At-large, Seat B
• City Council At-large, Seat C
• City Council, District Five

Not all offices are elected in the same manner.  Below is a brief explanation of how city offices will be filled by election in 2011.

Mayor.  The executive and administrative powers of the City of Knoxville are vested in the Mayor. The City Charter explains how a Mayor is elected:

“All candidates for mayor shall run in the primary and be elected in the regular municipal election following the primary in the manner herein provided. Provided, however, that any candidate for mayor receiving a majority of all the votes cast for the office of mayor in the primary shall be declared elected without the necessity of a runoff and a certificate of election shall be issued to such candidate by the officials responsible for holding the election.” See Charter § 707(A).

In other words, if a Mayoral candidate gets a majority (50% + 1) of the votes cast in the primary election on September 27, that candidate would not appear on a regular election ballot on November 8.  However, if no candidate gets a majority of the votes cast in the primary election, then the top two voter getters would proceed to a runoff election on November 8.  The candidate receiving a majority of the votes is named the certified winner and takes office on December 17, 2011.

Municipal Judge. The Municipal Judge (also known as the City Judge) is elected in the same manner as the Mayor. See Charter § 707(D).

City Council, At-large.  There are two types of representation on City Council: at-large and district representatives.  At-large members are on a city-wide ballot during the primary and regular elections.  The City Charter explains how at-large members are elected:

“For each designated at large seat there shall be a primary election of all voters in the city. In the primary election all voters in the city may vote for one (1) candidate for each designated at large seat. The two (2) candidates receiving the highest number of votes for each designated at large seat in the primary election shall be placed on the regular election ballot. In the regular election, all voters in the city may vote for one (1) candidate for each designated at large seat. The candidate for each designated at large seat receiving the most votes shall be declared elected.”  See Charter § 707(C).

Unlike the Mayor or Municipal Judge, a candidate for City Council cannot be elected in the primary election alone.  Instead, even if unopposed, a Council candidate only becomes a certified winner after the regular election.  The certified winner takes office on December 17, 2011.

City Council, District Five is the only district seat on the ballot in 2011.  Whereas at-large members are on a city-wide ballot during the primary and regular elections, district members are only on the ballot of district voters during the primary election and all city voters in the regular election.  The City Charter explains how District members are elected:

“Candidates shall be listed by districts on the official ballot in the primary and regular elections. The voters within each district may vote for not more than one (1) candidate in the primary election. The two (2) candidates receiving the highest number of votes in each district shall be placed on the regular election ballot. In the regular election, all voters in the city may vote for one (1) candidate from each district, and the candidate from each district receiving the most votes shall be declared elected.” See Charter § 707(B).

The certified winner of the Regular Election takes office on December 17, 2011.