In order to serve on a local board of education, a person must be a U.S. citizen and must have lived for at least one year in the school district in which he wishes to be a candidate. The candidate must also be a registered voter as of the date of the election.
The prospective candidate must also be able to read and write and cannot hold any other office in the town or county in which he wishes to serve. The candidate also may not have any contract with the school board or any claim against the board.
In school districts where board members are elected, the terms are for three years and are staggered. In order to run for a school board election, the prospective candidates, including incumbents, have to obtain a kit explaining the duties and responsibilities of school board members and the requirements to stand for election, as well as a nominating petition, from the district secretary. The petitioner must then get signatures from at least 10 voters (including the petitioner’s own) living in the district.
The signed petition has to be submitted to the school district secretary at least 50 days prior to the election. New Jersey also requires candidates to file campaign expense reports with the Election Law Enforcement Commission.
While most school boards in New Jersey are elected by the public, members of some districts are appointed by the municipal mayor in April or June.
All campaign materials supporting candidates and issues must meet the requirements of the New Jersey Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Reporting Act. Such materials must include a “paid for by” line designating the name and address of the individual or committee that paid for the material.
School districts themselves and school officials are not permitted to publish campaign materials urging voters to vote in favor of the school budget or a particular candidate.
Members of the public who wish to vote in a school election must be registered to vote in the municipality in which they live. To register, people must be U.S. citizens at least 18 years of age and must be a resident of New Jersey and the county for at least 30 days before the election. The person registering must not be on parole or probation or serving a sentence for a felony conviction.
People whose names or addresses have changed, or who wish to change a political party affiliation, must re-register. Voters who expect to be away from home during the school election, or any other election, may wish to vote by mail by obtaining an absentee ballot, also known as an application for vote by mail ballot. These applications may be obtained from the municipal clerk and must be filled out and mailed to the county clerk of the voter’s home county at least seven days before the election.