2120.1- Candidates and Campaigning

Nominations

Candidates for the office of member of the Board of Education shall be nominated by petition. Such petition shall be directed to the District Clerk, shall contain the signatures and addresses of at least 25 qualified voters of the district or two percent of the voters who voted in the previous board member election, whichever is greater, shall state the residence of each signer and shall state the name and residence of the candidate. Each petition shall be filed with the District Clerk between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. not later than 30 days preceding the Annual Meeting and Election at which the candidates so nominated are to be elected. The District Clerk will supervise the procedure used to establish the order of names on the ballot. The Board may reject nominations if the candidate is ineligible or has declared an unwillingness to serve.

Reporting Expenditures

If a candidate’s campaign expenditures or campaign contributions exceed $500, the candidate must file a sworn statement with both the district clerk and the commissioner of education itemizing their expenditures and contributions received. The statement must list the amounts of all money or other valuable things paid, given, expended or promised by the candidate, or incurred for or on the candidate’s behalf with his or her approval. Any required contribution statements shall also include the dollar amount of any receipt, contribution or transfer, or the fair market value of any receipt, contribution or transfer, which is other than of money, the name and address of the transferor, contributor or person from whom received, and if the transferor, contributor or person is a political committee as defined in Election Law §14- 100(1), the political unit represented by the committee, the date of its receipt, the dollar amount of every expenditure, the name and address of the person to whom it was made or the name of and the political unit represented by the committee to which it was made and the date thereof.

A candidate who expends nothing or his or her only expenditures were for personal expenses which, taken together with the total expenditures incurred by others on his or her behalf and with his of her approval, do not exceed $500, and if the aggregate amount of all contributions made to such candidate do not exceed $500, is only required to file a sworn statement with the district clerk indicating this to be the case. No other campaign expenditure statement is required.

An initial statement must be filed at least 30 days before the election, a second statement must be filed on or before the fifth (5th) day preceding the election and a final statement must be filed within 20 days after the election.

Electioneering

Electioneering during the hours of any vote is prohibited within the polling place or within 100 feet of any such polling place. Displays or handout items of any political nature, except those provided by law, shall be prohibited by any individual, group or organization in any school building on those days when the polls are open for voting on school district matters, including, but not limited to, the annual school budget, candidates for the Board of Education, special propositions, etc.

Cross-ref:

  • 1050, Annual District Election and Budget Vote
  • 6120, Budget Hearing

Ref:

  • Education Law §2018
  • Education Law §§ 1528, 1529, 2031-a

Adoption date: February 25, 2008
Reviewed: February 27, 2017