HB 356 - AS INTRODUCED
2025 SESSION
25-0413
08/11
HOUSE BILL 356
AN ACT enabling school districts to adopt partisan school district elections.
SPONSORS: Rep. Wherry, Hills. 13; Rep. Aylward, Merr. 5; Rep. Boehm, Hills. 14; Rep. Harvey-Bolia, Belk. 3; Rep. Pauer, Hills. 36; Rep. Creighton, Hills. 30
COMMITTEE: Election Law
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ANALYSIS
This bill enables school districts to choose whether or not to adopt partisan school district elections.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
25-0413
08/11
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
AN ACT enabling school districts to adopt partisan school district elections.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Filing; School District Elections. Amend RSA 671:19 to read as follows:
671:19 Filing. [All] For all districts which have adopted a non-partisan ballot system pursuant to RSA 671:30, the provisions of RSA 669:19-669:22 relative to filing for office and withdrawal of candidacy for a non-partisan town election shall apply to school district elections. For school districts which have adopted a partisan ballot system pursuant to RSA 671:30-a, all the provisions of RSA 669:18 and RSA 669:22 relative to filing for office and withdrawal of candidacy for a partisan town election shall apply to school district elections. In both non-partisan and partisan ballot systems, [except that in those statutes] where there is a reference to a town or a town clerk in the referenced statutes, it shall be read to refer to a school district or a school district clerk.
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 addition to the requirements of RSA 671:49, a cooperative school district that has adopted the partisan official ballot system pursuant to RSA 671:30-a shall do the following:
I. 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.
II. 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.
III. 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. In any school district in which the non-partisan ballot system is in effect, adoption of the partisan ballot system shall be by ballot. Whenever in such school district there shall appear in the warrant for any school district meeting an article relating to the adoption of the partisan ballot system, the school district clerk shall cause to be printed on the official ballot the question, "Shall the partisan ballot system for the election of school district officers be adopted by this school district?", which questions shall be followed by boxes in which the voter may indicate "Yes" or "No.". If the majority of the qualified voters present and voting at such meeting shall answer said question in the affirmative, the partisan ballot system shall be deemed to have been adopted by said school district. 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.
671:30-c Partisan Official Ballot System; Method of Rescinding. Any school district may vote to rescind the partisan official ballot system for election of school district officers under an article in the warrant for any school district meeting. In any school district in which the partisan ballot system is in effect, adoption of the non-partisan ballot system shall be by ballot. Whenever in such school district there shall appear in the warrant for any school district meeting an article relating to the rescinding of the partisan ballot system, the school district clerk shall cause to be printed on the official ballot the question, "Shall the partisan ballot system for the election of school district officers be rescinded by this school district, returning to the non-partisan ballot system?", which question shall be followed by boxes in which the voter may indicate "Yes" or "No". If the majority of the qualified voters present and voting at such meeting shall answer said question in the affirmative, the partisan ballot system shall be deemed to have been rescinded by said school district. The non-partisan ballot system shall not be in effect until the school district election first following the school district meeting at which such partisan ballot system is rescinded.
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] RSA 671.
7 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| March 5, 2025 | House | Hearing |
| March 4, 2025 | House | Exec Session |
| March 11, 2025 | House | Exec Session |
March 6, 2025: Executive Session: 03/11/2025 09:00 am LOB 306-308
Feb. 27, 2025: Executive Session: 03/04/2025 01:00 pm LOB 306-308
Feb. 20, 2025: Public Hearing: 02/25/2025 10:00 am LOB 306-308
Jan. 8, 2025: Introduced 01/08/2025 and referred to Election Law HJ 2 P. 16