Bill > H3759

This bill mandates that all school district board of trustees members in South Carolina must be elected through partisan elections, replacing any previous non-partisan election systems. The bill establishes detailed procedures for candidate nominations, which can occur through political party primaries, conventions, or petition processes. For school district trustee elections coinciding with November general elections in even-numbered years, candidates must file statements of intention, party pledges, and pay required fees according to existing state election laws. For school districts with special election timing, additional specific requirements are established, including conducting primaries twelve weeks before the election, filing candidate intentions at least sixty days before the primary, and submitting petition signatures seventy-five days prior to the election. Importantly, this new law explicitly supersedes any conflicting local school district election provisions, ensuring a uniform partisan election approach across the state. The bill will take effect upon the Governor's approval, fundamentally changing how school board trustees are nominated and elected in South Carolina by introducing a partisan element to what was previously likely a non-partisan process.

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https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3759&session=126&summary=B