SB1097

THE CONTEXT: Statute prohibits partisan local elections, including city and town elections, school district elections and special district elections. These political subdivisions cannot include any indication on the ballot of the source of the candidacy or of the support of the candidate, such as signifying any political party affiliation (A.

WHAT THE BILL DID: The final vetoed version would require each school district governing board candidate's partisan designation to be included on the ballot, define partisan designation as the political party of which the candidate is a qualified elector 120 days before the primary election for the election cycle in which the individual is a candidate, and contains an applicability clause specifying this act applies to school district governing board elections held on or after January 1,.

WHY IT MATTERED: The practical reason for this bill was to turn the Legislature's standard for school districts into an enforceable rule. It would require each school district governing board candidate's partisan designation to be included on the ballot, and would also define partisan designation as the political party of which the candidate is a qualified elector 120 days before the primary election for the election cycle in which the individual is a candidate, rather than leave the current rule unchanged.