School election rules differ depending on the jurisdiction in which the school district is located. Generally, election rules are laid out for a specific jurisdiction, such as a city, state, or county. In these jurisdictions, local election rules can govern how the school board makes their decisions and receive votes from students. Often, the school board will follow the local election rules to limit the number of candidates seeking election and limit debate about the election process. The rules also set standards for the types of speeches that can be made during school board meetings.
School election rules generally cover all school districts and allow for various types of voting for each candidate. For instance, a city, village, or school district may have a special election millage, allowing voters to select a candidate for a particular office by receiving a certain percentage of the total vote for that office. This is different from the way that most municipal and rural school districts operate. Except for small rural school districts that may incorporate a “one vote” voting system, most locales have a “two-vote” system where a majority of voters must agree before a person is chosen for office.
Students at public schools aren’t typically allowed to run for student board in their communities, although this isn’t always the case. In the United States, student leaders and members are sometimes eligible for school boards and other municipal political positions at various levels. Public school examples of these candidates include students who wish to serve on a committee, as teachers, as a parent, or as a student leader.
At some schools, the student newspaper, the newspaper, or an outside organization can decide if a candidate receives votes. Some school examples pack a slate of candidates who are running for a position on the board of the school. Students vote on these by selecting which individuals they would like to represent on the board. At some other schools, students divide up the list of potential candidates into smaller sub-seasons. The first would contain the elected leaders of the student organizations, followed by the other groups who wish to run for such positions.
Students in some schools also have the opportunity to choose how to vote. They can either abstain from voting or cast a vote for someone else. The different rules are set well in advance before the election, so all rules and regulations are in place during the campaigns and subsequent voting.