The regular elections for members of the board shall be held under rules of the board at least 30 days prior to the expiration of the term of office of any elective member.
At any election for active policemen members, all such policemen of the appropriate rank employed by the city when the election is held have a right to vote for members of the board of the same class of rank.
At any election for the pensioner or annuitant member, all annuitants and pensioners (except children less than age 18) and the legal guardian of any child annuitant or child pensioner, whose mother or stepmother is not an annuitant or pensioner of the fund, shall have a right to vote.
Ballots to be cast in such elections shall be of a secret character.
40 ILCS 5/5-179