An Act to require that a candidate for election to the board of a school district disclose the candidate's party affiliation on a declaration of candidacy.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of South Dakota:

Section 1. That § 13-7-6 be AMENDED:

13-7-6. No A candidate for elective school board membership on the board of a school district may not be nominated unless such person the candidate is a resident voter of the school district, as defined in § 13-7-4.2, and unless a nominating petition has been filed on such person's behalf with the business manager of the school district. The nominating petition shall be filed no later than five p.m. on the Friday thirty-nine days before the date of the election. The petition is considered filed if it is mailed by registered mail by five p.m. on the Friday thirty-nine days before the election. A with the business manager of the school district, by the candidate or on the candidate's behalf.

The candidate shall sign a formal declaration of a candidate shall be signed by the candidate of candidacy before the circulation of the petition. The Except for a candidate who is an enlisted member of the South Dakota National Guard or a member of the armed forces, as defined in § 13-55-7, the candidate must include on the formal declaration of candidacy, the party affiliation, if any, that is listed on the candidate's voter registration card.

The petition shall must be signed by not less than twenty voters of the school district or, if the school district is divided into school board representation areas, the petition shall must be signed by not less than twenty voters who reside within the school board representation area. No A petition may not be circulated until ten weeks prior to the election. There shall be added by either the signer

An individual who signs the petition or the circulator of the petition shall write the signer's place of residence and date of signing next to the individual's signature. The petition shall be verified under oath by the person circulating it circulator shall verify the petition under oath.

The nominating petition must be filed no later than five p.m. on the Friday thirty-nine days before the date of the election. The petition is considered timely filed if the petition is mailed by registered mail by five p.m. on the Friday thirty-nine days before the election.

The business manager shall verify that the candidate is a resident voter of the school district and that the nominating petition contains the minimum number of signatures. Upon verification by the business manager, the filing of the nominating petition shall constitute constitutes nomination and will entitle entitles the candidate to have the candidate's name placed on the ballot for the term the candidate specifies on the petition only upon verification signed by the business manager that the nominating petition contains the minimum number of signatures and that the candidate is a resident voter.