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Rules governing school board election dates and timing in New Jersey
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| New Jersey overview: • Election dates: Varies |
| Key policies: • Election dates and timing • Party labels on the ballot |
| Key terms • On-cycle elections • Off-cycle elections • Off-year elections • Off-date elections • Party labels • Partisan elections • Nonpartisan elections |
School districts in New Jersey can hold school board elections in April or November. A school district can change from April elections to November elections or from November elections back to April elections through voter approval of a referendum put on the ballot through a signature petition.
School districts in New Jersey with spring school board elections hold nonpartisan general elections on the third Tuesday in April every year.
School districts in New Jersey with fall school board elections hold nonpartisan general elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every year.
See law: New Jersey Statute Chapter 18A:9, Section 18A:10-3, and Section 19:60-1
How does New Jersey compare to other states?
Across the country, there are 13,187 public school districts governed by a total of 83,183 school board members. They are elected directly by voters except for a small handful of exceptions who are appointed.
The analysis below is based on state laws governing school board elections and some researched common practices. In some states, the state law mandates a specific date. In others, the laws allow districts to choose their own election date from a range or a list of allowed dates or through charter provisions.
- 25 states have school board elections that are mostly held off cycle from federal elections. This includes both off-year and off-date elections.
- 10 of those states have school board elections that are mostly or at least commonly held on election dates in November of odd-numbered years.
- 16 of those states have school board elections mostly or at least commonly held on election dates that are not in November.
- 14 states have school board elections that are mostly held on cycle with federal elections in November of even-numbered years.
- 9 states either do not have state laws or overwhelmingly common practices that determine a specific school board election date or have varying school board election dates.
- Hawaii has a single, appointed school board.
See also
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School board election rules: |
School board election coverage: |
Terms and context: |
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Footnotes
