(a) The Queen Anne’s County Board consists of:
(1) Five voting, nonpartisan, elected members; and
(2) One nonvoting student representative from each public high school in the county.
(b) The five voting, nonpartisan, elected members shall be elected by the voters of the entire county at a general election in accordance with subsection (c) of this section.
(c) (1) (i) One voting member shall reside in and be elected from each of the four county commissioner districts; and
(ii) One member shall reside in the county and be elected from the county at large.
(2) (i) A member from a county commissioner district who no longer resides in the district may not continue as a member of the county board.
(ii) A member at large who no longer resides in the county may not continue as a member of the county board.
(3) A candidate elected to the county board shall be a registered voter and resident of Queen Anne’s County for at least 3 years.
(d) (1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, each elected voting member serves for a term of 4 years beginning on the first Monday in December after the member’s election and until a successor is elected and qualifies.
(2) The initial terms of the elected voting members are staggered as follows:
(i) The three members elected to the county board at the general election in November 2008 who receive the highest number of votes cast from among the successful candidates at that election shall serve for a term of 6 years; and
(ii) The two members elected to the county board at the general election in November 2008 who receive the least number of votes cast from among the successful candidates at that election shall serve for a term of 4 years.
(3) (i) In case of a vacancy on the county board, the Governor shall appoint a qualified person to serve on the county board until a successor is elected and qualifies.
(ii) If the vacancy occurs before the filing deadline for candidates for the primary election that is held in the second year of the term, the individual appointed under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph shall serve until a successor is elected at the next general election and qualifies.
(iii) If the vacancy occurs after the filing deadline for candidates for the primary election that is held in the second year of the term, the individual appointed under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph shall serve for the remainder of the term of the vacating member and until a successor is elected at the next general election and qualifies.
(e) (1) The nonvoting student members of the county board shall be elected from each of the public high schools in the county by their respective student bodies.
(2) Each student member shall:
(i) Be an eleventh or twelfth grade student in good standing in the Queen Anne’s County public school system;
(ii) Be a student government association representative at the student’s high school;
(iii) Serve for 1 year beginning on July 1 after the election of the member;
(iv) Be nonvoting; and
(v) Advise the county board on the thoughts and feelings of students in the Queen Anne’s County public schools.
(3) Unless invited to attend by an affirmative vote of a majority of the county board, the student member may not attend an executive session of the county board.