This bill allows school districts the option to adopt partisan elections for their district officers, providing a framework for both partisan and non-partisan ballot systems. It amends existing laws, specifically RSA 671:19, to clarify that school districts with a non-partisan ballot system will follow the provisions for non-partisan elections, while those that adopt a partisan ballot system will adhere to the rules for partisan elections. The bill introduces new sections, including RSA 671:30-a, which outlines the process for adopting a partisan ballot system, and RSA 671:30-b, which details how a school district can rescind the partisan system and revert to a non-partisan system.

Additionally, the bill modifies the language in several sections to ensure consistency in terminology, replacing "non-partisan" with "official" in certain contexts and specifying that references to towns or town clerks should be interpreted as referring to school districts or school district clerks. It also establishes requirements for cooperative school districts that adopt a partisan ballot system, including the process for candidate nominations and the preparation of ballots. The act will take effect 60 days after its passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 671:19, 671:20, 671:30, 195:19-a
As Amended by the House: 671:19, 671:20, 671:30, 195:19-a, 91-A:2
Version adopted by both bodies: 671:19, 671:20, 671:30, 195:19-a, 91-A:2