A NEW LAW ALLOWS DISTRICTS TO MOVE SCHOOL ELECTIONS FROM APRIL TO NOVEMBER WHERE THEY WILL BE PLACED ON THE GENERAL BALLOT WITH OTHER LOCAL, STATE OR FEDERAL ELECTIONS. (1-25-12)
Frequently Asked
Questions
Regarding New School Election Law
(P.L. 2011, c. 202)
P.L. 2011, c. 202, signed into law on January 17, 2012, permits a board
of education, a municipal
governing body, or voters (by way of petition) to move the April annual
school board election to
the date of the November general election.
The following information is in response to inquiries received by various
State agencies from
school districts and municipalities regarding implementation of this statute.
Procedure to Move the Annual School Board Election to November
1. Q. Is this new law in effect for 2012?
A. Yes.
2. Q. What procedure is required for the school board ("board")
or municipal governing
body ("governing body")?
A. The law requires passage of a resolution by the applicable board or
governing
body.
The board or governing body is required to follow the requirements of
the Open
Public Meetings Act, (N.J.S.A. 10:4-1, et seq.) for such action, and should
also
follow the board's or governing body's existing procedures for passage
of a
resolution.
3. Q. Is there a standard format for a resolution to move the election
to November?
A. A sample resolution is appended to this FAQ.
4. Q.In order to move the April 2012 school election to November 2012,
what is the
deadline for the passage of such resolution?
A. There is no set deadline in the new law, but reading the statute in
context with the
timelines already established in election law provides a compelling rationale
for
the board or governing body to approve a resolution no later than February
17,
2012, and immediately notify the county clerk. This would provide the
appropriate time to avoid potentially unnecessary expenses related to
preparing
for an April election; and also provide due notice to any person interested
in filing
a nomination petition for an April election.
5. Q. What happens if only the board or the governing body, but not both,
pass a
resolution moving the school election to November?
A. Under the law, the board and governing body each have independent
authority to
pass the resolution to move the April school election to November.
It is not required that both the board and governing body agree on the
change of
the election date. A resolution to change the date from either government
office
is controlling.
6. Q. If a board or governing body passes the resolution, what other
government offices
should be notified?
A. P.L. 2011, c. 202 requires notification to the applicable county clerk.
It is also
strongly recommended that a copy of the resolution be provided to the
county
board of election (and the county superintendent of elections, if there
is one in the
county); the applicable municipal clerk(s) and school board secretary
or
secretaries; the State Division of Elections; the Department of Education's
Executive County Superintendent; and the Department of Community Affairs,
Division of Local Government Services.
7. Q In the case of a regional, merged, or consolidated school district,
which entities have
the authority to move the annual school election to November?
A. Either the individual board or all of the district's constituent governing
bodies can
move the annual school election to November.
Also, in the case of a limited purpose regional school district, if all
of the
constituent elementary districts move their elections to November, the
regional
school district election automatically moves to November.
8. Q. If the election is moved to November, can it revert back to April
at a later date?
A. Yes, but once a school election is moved to November, no action can
be taken
(either by petition or resolution) to move the election back to April
for four years.
9. Q. Does a move to a November election affect a school board's option
to hold a special
election, as is currently permitted by law four times a year at specified
times?
A. No, the four special school election dates (January, March, September
and
December) remain available. April is not an option.
November School Elections
10. Q. If a board or governing body moves the school election, what is
on the ballot for a
November election?
A. At the November general election, the voters vote on the school board
candidates
and any proposed cap over-ride referendum. The election may also include
a
capital spending proposal. There is no vote on the annual school base
budget
within the levy cap.
11. Q. For the November election, what is the deadline for nomination
petitions for school
board candidates?
A. The deadline is the day of the June primary election.
12. Q. For April school elections, the school board secretary is the
filing officer for
nomination petitions. Who is the filing officer for November school elections?
A. The county clerk.
13. Q. For April school elections, the board rules on objections to nomination
petitions.
For the November election, who makes such decisions?
A. The county clerk.
14. Q. Is the November school election a partisan or non-partisan election?
A. Non-partisan.
15. Q. Where will the school board candidates be placed on the ballot?
A. The school election will be on a separate section of the ballot. The
school board
candidates will not be aligned with any political party or partisan candidates.
16. Q. Who has the authority to design the set-up of the ballot?
A. The county clerk designs the general election ballot. Under the new
law, the clerk
has the "authority to determine the specifications for, and the final
arrangement
of, the official ballots."
17. Q. In an April school election, the school board determines the hours
of the election.
What are the hours for the November election?
A. 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
18. Q. If board members are elected in November, when does the board
re-organize?
A. The first week of January.
19. Q. If a school election is moved to November, does that extend the
expired term of
office for the current board members?
A. Yes, their terms are extended until the January re-organization meeting.
20. Q. If the election is moved to November, thereby eliminating the
vote on the annual
base budget, is the board still required to hold public hearings on the
budget as
currently required by law?
A. Yes.
Fiscal Issues
21. Q. If the election is moved to November, will the school board incur
any costs?
A. Unlike an April election, the school board will not incur base costs
for the
payment of board workers, voting machine transportation, overtime for
county
election personnel, rental of polling places, or other inherent costs
of an election.
These costs are already covered by either the state or the county as part
of the
existing November general election.
The new law states that a school board would be responsible for any increased
costs incurred only by a county board of election if the school election
moves to
November. It is anticipated that such added costs would be minimal, if
any. The
new law provides that the board of education and the respective board
of election
can enter into an agreement regarding cost, pursuant to guidelines to
be issued by
the Secretary of State.
A school board also would not be responsible for ballot printing costs
as it is the
county clerk, not the county board of election, that has such responsibilities.
Nor
would a school board be responsible for any added costs incurred by a
county
superintendent of elections, if there is such office in the county.
Cap Over-ride Referendum
22. Q. If the November separate proposal (cap over-ride) is approved
by the voters, does it
affect the current budget or the subsequent budget?
A. A successful separate proposal (cap over-ride) is merged with the
current budget
and would allow the district to increase spending in the current budget
year for the
purpose cited in the voter-approved referendum.
School Elections Not Moving to November
23. Q. If a number of school elections are moved to November, will there
be any added
costs for those boards that continue with the April election?
A. It is possible that there is an increase in costs for districts maintaining
April
elections as a result of fewer school districts sharing in the overall
costs of the
April election.
24. Q. For boards that continue with an April school election and base-budget
vote, will a
separate proposal (cap over-ride referendum) still be on the April ballot?
A. Yes.
Sample Resolution
RESOLUTION
Establishing the Election of Members of the _____________Board of Education
As the First Tuesday after the First Monday in November
WHEREAS, P.L. 2011, c. 202 authorizes changing the election date of school
board
members from the third Tuesday in April to the first Tuesday after the
first
Monday in November (the General Election); and
WHEREAS, Such action requires the adoption of a resolution by a school
district or the
municipality or municipalities constituting such district, as set forth
in P.L.
2011, c. 202; and
WHEREAS, P.L. 2011, c. 202 requires that the change to a November election
remain in
effect for four years; and
WHEREAS, P.L. 2011, c. 202 eliminates the annual voter referendum on
the proposed
general fund tax levy (i.e., the base budget which is at or below the
statutory tax
levy cap) in school districts where board of education members are elected
at
the General Election; and
WHEREAS, P.L. 2011, c. 202 requires that an additional general fund tax
levy proposal (i.e.,
for an expenditure in excess of the tax levy cap) be presented to voters
as a
separate question at the General Election; and
WHEREAS, (optional) The _______________ (Board of Education or Governing
Body)
believes that the financial interest of its constituents is safeguarded
by the
state's tax levy cap and the thorough review of the proposed school budget
by
the Executive County Superintendent and the Executive County School
Business Administrator; and
WHEREAS, (optional) The _______________ (Board of Education or Governing
Body)
believes that more citizens will participate in the selection of school
board
members at the General Election than on the third Tuesday in April and
that the
higher level of participation will foster positive interest in our public
schools;
and
WHEREAS, (optional) The _______________ (Board of Education or Governing
Body) is
committed to the non-partisan status of school board membership and the
nonpartisan
conduct of school elections, and believes this principle will not be
compromised by conducting board member elections in November.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED,
That, pursuant to P.L. 2011, c. 202, the ________________ (Board of Education
or Governing Body) changes the annual election date for school board members
from the third Tuesday in April to the November General Election, beginning
in
2012; and be it further
RESOLVED, That, pursuant to P.L. 2011, c. 202, the annual organization
meeting of the
___________ Board of Education will take place in the first week of January
following the November General Election and that the board of education's
next
organization meeting will take place in the first week of January 2013;
and be it
further
RESOLVED, That, pursuant to P.L. 2011, c. 202, members of the _________
Board of
Education whose terms would have expired by May 2012 will continue to
serve
in office until the January 2013 organization meeting; and be it further
RESOLVED, That this resolution be transmitted to the _________ County
Clerk; the
_________ County Board of Elections and/or Superintendent of Elections;
the
_________ municipal clerk(s) and school board secretary or secretaries;
the
Department of State, Division of Elections; the Department of Education's
Executive County Superintendent; and the Department of Community Affairs,
Division of Local Government Services; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution also be provided to the New
Jersey School Boards
Association and New Jersey State League of Municipalities.
SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE VETERANS' HONORARY SERVICE CARD (1-15-12)
The Veterans' Honorary Service Card is offered as a convenience through the Bergen County Clerk's Office. Many business and organizations in Bergen County are currently offering discounts to Veterans, and this card should only be used where it is accepted.
- Always check with the retailer before shopping to inquire as to whether the card will be accepted.
- The wallet sized cards will be issued to veterans who present a copy of their military service records.
- Please note that participation in any discount or amount offered will be at the sole discretion of the vendor/ retailer at which you are shopping.
Retailers that have traditionally provided discounts to Veterans , all you have to do is ask!:
Arby's, Burger King, Chick-Fil-A, Denny's, Dunkin' Donuts, IHOP, KFC, Long John Silver, Pizza Hut, Quizno's, Sizzler, Sonic, Taco Bell, AT&T, Geico, Jiffy Lube, Meineke, Sears Portrait Studio Movie theaters, Ripley's attractions and museums, Professional Sports teams, Apple, Computers, AutoZone, Bass Pro Shop, Bath and Body Works, Dell, The Discovery Channel Store, Dress Barn, The Finish Line, Foot Action, Footlocker, Lerner, Lowe's, Michael's, NAPA Auto Parts, New York & Company, Payless Shoes, Spencer's Gifts, Timberland Outlets, Wilson's Leather and many, many more.
**Please note that participation in any discount or amount offered will be at the sole discretion of the vendor/ retailer at which you are shopping.
ELECTION RESULTS
To see the results of recent elections, click on the links to view or download a PDF report.
2010 Primary Election Results
2010 School Board Election Results
2009 General Election Results
2009 Primary Election Results
2009 School Board Election Results
Prior Year Election Results
COUNTY IDs
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For this reason, effective January 1, 2010, the Bergen County Clerk’s office stopped issuing Official Identification Cards. This decision was made in order to help our citizens avoid delays and inconvenience when trying to use ID cards that will not be accepted.
We urge citizens who require official photo identification to obtain at least one of the following documents recognized by the Federal Government under the REAL ID guidelines:
U.S. Passport Book and/or U.S. Passport Card
You can apply for these documents at:
Bergen County Clerk’s OfficeOne Bergen County Plaza, Room 120
Hackensack, NJ 07601
(201) 336-7000
More passport information is also available from the Federal Government website.
http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
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