WEST virginia legislature

2023 regular session

Introduced

House Bill 2327

By Delegates C. Pritt and Crouse

[Introduced January 11, 2023; Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary]

A BILL to amend and reenact §18-5-1 and §18-5-1b of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, all relating to modifying county school board elections to provide that the candidate’s party affiliation be displayed beside of the candidate’s name on the ballot.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 5. county board of education.

§18-5-1. Supervision and control of county school districts; number, nomination and election of members.

Each county school district shall be under the supervision and control of a county board of education, which shall be composed of five members, nominated and elected by the voters of the respective county. without reference to political party affiliation No more than two members shall be elected from the same magisterial district. The candidate’s party affiliation must be listed by their name on the ballot.

§18-5-1b. Election; terms of office; party affiliation required.

As the terms of county school board members who presently hold office expire, members shall be elected for four-year terms at the time of each regular primary election commencing with the year 1990. The terms of such members shall begin on July 1, next following the primary election at which they were elected.

The term of office of any member of any county board of education shall immediately cease, and a vacancy shall exist, upon occurrence of ineligibility as prescribed in section one-a of this article.

Additionally, the candidate’s party affiliation must be listed by their name on the ballot.

This section shall in no manner be construed so as to affect the unexpired terms of county school board members who hold office or were elected under prior existing law.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require that the party affiliation for county school board members be displayed beside their name on the ballot for election.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.