This bill proposes to allow school districts the option to adopt partisan elections for school district officers. It amends RSA 671:19 to differentiate between non-partisan and partisan ballot systems for school district elections. The bill specifies that for districts with a non-partisan ballot system, the existing provisions for filing for office and withdrawal of candidacy for non-partisan town elections will apply. For districts that choose to adopt a partisan ballot system, the provisions for filing for office and withdrawal of candidacy for partisan town elections will apply instead. References to towns or town clerks in the relevant statutes are to be interpreted as referring to school districts or school district clerks.

The bill also introduces new sections, including RSA 671:30-a, which outlines the use of a partisan ballot system for school district elections, and RSA 671:30-b, which details the method by which a school district may adopt the partisan official ballot system. Additionally, it amends RSA 195:19-a, VII to reflect the use of the "official" ballot system under RSA 671 for the election of cooperative school board members. The bill stipulates that the changes will take effect 60 days after its passage. Insertions in the bill include language to accommodate the partisan system, while deletions remove references to the non-partisan system where necessary to allow for the new option.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 671:19, 671:20, 671:30
As Amended by the House: 671:19, 671:20, 671:30, 195:19-a