Revision: March 12, 2024, 9:02 a.m.
Rep. Boehm, Hills. 14
March 11, 2024
2024-1078h
08/02
Floor Amendment to HB 1099
Amend the bill by replacing all after section 1 with the following:
2 New Section; Additional Requirements for Official Partisan Ballot System in Cooperative School Districts. Amend RSA 671 by inserting after section 19 the following new section:
671:19-a Additional Requirements for Official Partisan Ballot System in Cooperative School Districts. In a cooperative school district that has adopted the partisan official ballot system pursuant to RSA 671:30-a, this section outlines additional requirements to RSA 669:49. The clerk of the political party accepting a declaration of office for a candidate for an at-large school district office shall, within 2 business days, provide a copy of the declaration of office to the clerks of the same political party in the other towns of the pre-existing districts. For each school district officer elected at-large, the votes from all caucuses of the same political party in the towns of pre-existing districts shall be combined by the clerks of the political party and a plurality of votes shall be sufficient to nominate a candidate for the school district office. After the caucuses, certificates of nomination shall be made and shall indicate the name and domicile of each candidate, the at-large office for which the person is nominated and the political principles or party they represent, and shall be signed by the chairman and clerk of the caucus or convention for the town where the candidate is domiciled; and, when practicable, such certificates of nomination shall be signed by each candidate; but the absence of the signature of the candidate shall not invalidate a certificate of nomination.
3 Preparation of Ballots; By School District Clerk. Amend RSA 671:20 to read as follows:
671:20 By School District Clerk. The school district clerk shall prepare ballots for school district elections in the same manner as town clerks for non-partisan or partisan town elections, as provided in RSA 669:23 and 669:24, except that the ballot shall be of a different color than any other ballot used at the election.
4 Official Ballot System; Conduct of Election; Elections at School District Meeting. Amend RSA 671:30 to read as follows:
671:30 [Non-Partisan] Official Ballot System. Every school district in the state, except one having a special statute relative to election of its district offices, or one that has adopted a partisan ballot system pursuant to RSA 671:30-a, shall use the non-partisan ballot system for the election of district officers, in the same manner as in towns as provided in RSA 669:19-669:25, except that all references to towns or town clerks shall be read to refer to school districts or school district clerks.
5 New Sections; Partisan Ballot System. Amend RSA 671 by inserting after section 30 the following new sections:
671:30-a Partisan Ballot System. Every school district in the state that has adopted a partisan ballot system pursuant to RSA 671:30-b, shall use the partisan ballot system for the election of district officers, in the same manner as in towns as provided in RSA 669:18, RSA 669:22 through RSA 669:29, and RSA 669:37 through RSA 669:53, except that all references to towns or town clerks shall be read to refer to school districts or school district clerks. A plurality shall elect in school districts using the partisan ballot system.
671:30-b Partisan Official Ballot System; Method of Adoption. Any school district may vote to adopt the partisan official ballot system for election of school district officers under an article in the warrant for any school district meeting, and may rescind such action in like manner. The partisan ballot system shall not be in effect until the school district election first following the school district meeting at which such system is adopted. A plurality shall elect in school districts using the partisan ballot system.
6 Composition of Cooperative School Boards. Amend RSA 195:19-a, VII to read as follows:
VII. Whenever the bylaws or articles of agreement provide for the election of cooperative school board members pursuant to this chapter, said election shall be with the use of the [non-partisan] official ballot system under RSA [669] 671.
7 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.