(a) At the municipal election immediately preceding the expiration of the term of the controller in office on January 1, 1956, and quadrennially thereafter, the qualified electors of each county of the third, fourth and fifth classes, and of every other county where the office of controller has been or may hereafter be established, including counties in which the office was established by general law, or otherwise, while such counties were in a higher classification, shall elect one citizen of the county, who shall serve as controller for the term of four years from the first Monday of January following the controller's election, or until a successor shall be qualified.

(a.1) In counties of the second class A, a controller shall be elected at the municipal election immediately preceding the expiration of the term of the controller in office on the effective date of this subsection and quadrennially thereafter.

(b) Each county controller shall be provided with an official seal of the office by the county commissioners of the county, which shall be used for the attestation of all official papers.