In every city, village and incorporated town so adopting this Article 6 and Articles 14 and 18 of this Act there shall be created a board of election commissioners, which shall be composed of 3 members, each of whom shall be designated as an election commissioner, and shall be appointed by the circuit court in the county in which such city, village or incorporated town shall be located. Each person appointed as an election commissioner shall at the time of such appointment have been a resident of the State of Illinois for the 2 years last past, except that the appointing court may waive the 2 year residence requirement for good cause shown and entered of record. And such appointment shall be entered of record in such court, and when qualified such commissioner shall be an officer of such court. The first appointment of such commissioners shall be within 60 days after the adoption of said Articles, and those first appointed shall hold their offices for the period of 1, 2 and 3 years, respectively, and the judge appointing them shall designate the term for which each one shall hold his office, whether for 1, 2 or 3 years. If the office of either commissioner shall become vacant, it shall thereupon be the duty of such court to appoint within 60 days a successor for such unexpired term; within 60 days after the expiration of the term for which each commissioner is appointed such court shall, in the same way, nominate and appoint a successor, who shall hold his office for the period of 3 years, and until his successor is appointed.
     A board of election commissioners is not a unit of local government within the meaning of Section 8 of Article VII of the Constitution of 1970. Appointments of election commissioners on and after July 1, 1971, shall continue to be made by the circuit court in the same manner as before that date.