2023 Maine Revised Statutes › TITLE 20-A: EDUCATION › Part 2: SCHOOL ORGANIZATION › Chapter 103: SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICTS › Subchapter 3: SCHOOL DIRECTORS › 20-A §1253. Election

§1253. Election
For the purpose of nominations, school directors shall be considered municipal officials and shall be nominated in accordance with Title 30‑A, chapter 121, or with a municipal charter, whichever is applicable.   [PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §§37, 106 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8,10 (AMD).]
1.  Initial meeting on district formation.
On the election of the school directors, the clerk of each municipality within the school administrative district shall forward the names of the directors elected for that municipality to the state board with other data with regard to their election as the state board may require. On receipt of the names of all of the directors, the state board shall set a time, place and date for the first meeting of the directors and give notice to the directors in the manner set forth in section 1202, subsection 3, paragraph A.
[PL 1983, c. 480, Pt. A, §17 (AMD).]
2.  Special provisions.
In the election for representation under the methods provided in section 1252 the following shall apply.
A. Under Method A:
(1) Within 60 days, but no earlier than 45 days after notification by the board of directors of the approval or reapportionment plan, the municipal officers shall call a special election to elect directors to serve under the plan for the school administrative district;
(2) Nomination papers must be furnished by the secretary of the district at least 10 days before the deadline for filing of nomination papers. Notwithstanding any other section of this Title, directors must be nominated by obtaining a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 50 signatures of registered voters residing within the subdistrict. The secretary shall notify the municipal officers of the names of candidates in each subdistrict;
(3) The ballots must be prepared in accordance with subparagraph (7);
(4) The clerks of each municipality shall forward to the secretary the results of the vote by subdistrict;
(5) The board of directors shall meet and total the votes cast for each candidate within each subdistrict and shall immediately notify the clerks in each municipality, the candidates and the commissioner of the results of the vote;
(6) The terms of the directors elected under the original municipal representation system cease on the date that the newly elected directors are sworn into office; and
(7) Notwithstanding any other provision of statute, directors must be elected by secret ballot. The ballots must be prepared for and distributed to the municipalities or subdistricts by the secretary of the district.   [PL 1993, c. 435, §1 (AMD).]
A-1. Under Method B:
(1) Reductions in the number of directors must take place in accordance with section 1255, subsection 1, paragraph B;
(2) Additional directors must be added in accordance with section 1255, subsection 1, paragraph C; and
(3) The term of office of additional directors must be determined in accordance with section 1251, subsection 3.   [PL 1993, c. 435, §2 (NEW).]
B. Under Method C:
(1) Nominations for directors shall be made on petitions provided by the district secretary. The petitions shall be signed as provided in Title 30‑A, section 2528, subsection 4, or if the candidate is a voting resident in a municipality having less than 200 population, signed by at least 20% of the registered voters of that municipality;
(2) The petitions shall be submitted to the registrar of voters in the respective municipalities for certification of the voting residence of the director nominated and of the voters signing the petition;
(3) The registrar of voters shall return the certified petitions to the district secretary not later than 30 days prior to the date of the annual election to be held in the municipality;
(4) The ballot shall be prepared and distributed by the district secretary. It shall give the number of offices to be filled and list the candidates by municipalities or subdistricts in which they are resident;
(5) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, school directors shall be elected by secret ballot;
(6) If all member municipalities do not conduct the election for directors on the same date, then all ballots cast in the elections shall be impounded by the clerk of each municipality:
(a) After all municipalities have voted, the clerks and one or more election supervisors designated by the municipal officers of each municipality shall meet at an agreed upon location and tally the ballot;
(b) The tally shall be completed within one day of the last member municipality election;
(c) The election supervisors shall select from among their members a chairman who shall supervise the tally of ballots; and
(d) The clerk of each municipality shall as promptly as possible after the election certify to the board of directors the result of the voting in that municipality; and
(7) Any recount petitions shall be filed with the secretary of the board of directors and recounts shall be conducted in each member municipality in accordance with the applicable laws.   [PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §§38, 106 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8,10 (AMD).]
[PL 1993, c. 435, §§1, 2 (AMD).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1981, c. 693, §§5,8 (NEW). PL 1983, c. 422, §2 (AMD). PL 1983, c. 480, §A17 (AMD). PL 1987, c. 737, §§C37,C38, C106 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 104, §§C8,C10 (AMD). PL 1993, c. 435, §§1,2 (AMD).