§ 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.