SEQUENCE OF ELECTIONS; ELECTION DATES

(a) The municipality having the smallest population among the municipalities voting on the consolidation issue shall hold the first consolidation election. The governing body of a municipality holding an election shall order the election within 45 days after the date the petition is filed. (b) If a majority of the votes received in an election are in favor of consolidation, each larger municipality in turn, in inverse order of their size of population, may or shall, as provided by Section 61.003, order a consolidation election. The governing body of a municipality holding an election shall order the election within 45 days after the date the election returns from the next smaller municipality are canvassed. (c) If a majority of the votes received in a consolidation election in any municipality are not in favor of consolidation, a larger municipality that has not held an election on the consolidation issue may not order a consolidation election. (d) If an election contest is timely filed in a consolidation election, the governing body of each larger municipality that has not held its consolidation election may delay holding the election until the election contest is finally determined. (e) In the alternative to the procedures provided in Subsections (a)-(d), the governing body of each municipality holding a consolidation election may order the election to be held on the same election date. (f) A consolidation election shall be held on the first authorized uniform election date prescribed by the Election Code that occurs after the period required by Section 3.005, Election Code.