1. a. Except as otherwise provided in this section, an annual school election shall be held in a type II district on the third Tuesday in April. However, in any school year, the Commissioner of Education shall make any adjustments to the school budget and election calendar which may be necessary to change the annual school election date or any other school budget and election calendar date if that date coincides with a period of religious observance that limits significantly the usual activities of the followers of a particular religion or that would result in significant religious consequences for such followers. The commissioner shall inform local school boards, county clerks and boards of election of these adjustments no later than the first working day in January of the year in which the adjustments are to occur.

As used in this subsection “a period of religious observance” means any day or portion thereof on which a religious observance imposes a substantial burden on an individual’s ability to vote.

An annual school election shall be held simultaneously with the general election on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in school districts in which the annual school election has been moved to that date pursuant to subsection a. of section 1 of P.L.2011, c.202 (C. 19:60-1.1) or pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2012, c.78 (C. 19:60-1.2). The annual school election in November shall be for the purpose of submitting a proposal to the voters for the approval of additional funds in a Type II district without a board of school estimate pursuant to paragraph (9) of subsection d. of section 5 of P.L.1996, c.138 (C. 18A:7F-5), for the purpose of electing members of the board of education, and for any other purpose authorized by law.

b. All school elections shall be by ballot and, except as otherwise provided by P.L.1995, c.278 (C. 19:60-1 et al.), shall be conducted in the manner provided for general elections pursuant to Title 19 of the Revised Statutes. No party designation shall appear on any ballot to be used in a school election. At the request of one or more candidates, the ballot for a school election may include a designation in not more than three words that conveys the principles which the candidate or candidates therein named represent, but such designation shall not contain the name, or a derivative or any part thereof, as a noun or an adjective of any political party entitled to participate in a primary election.

L.1995, c.278, s.1; amended 2003, c.20; 2008, c.129, s.1; 2011, c.202, s.33; 2012, c.78, s.5; 2018, c.20, s.1.