This bill proposes to amend current statutes regarding school district governing board elections by requiring that candidates' political party affiliations appear on the ballot. Under current law, candidates for school district governing boards are listed without any partisan designation. The bill would insert language specifying that the partisan designation must be included alongside the candidate's name and the title of the office being sought. Additionally, it defines "partisan designation" as the political party of which the candidate is a qualified elector 150 days prior to the primary election.

The bill also makes several technical changes to the existing statutes, including the renaming of "nominating petitions" to "nomination petitions" and clarifying that the names of candidates for school district governing boards will be included on the regular ballot with their partisan designations. The amendments would take effect for elections held on or after January 1, 2026. Overall, the bill aims to introduce partisan politics into school district elections, which is a significant shift from the current nonpartisan approach.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-422, 16-502, 16-322, 16-314
Senate Engrossed Version: 15-422, 16-502, 16-322, 16-314