§ 2018. Nomination of candidates for the office of member of the board
of education in all union free school districts or for the office of
member of the board of trustees in all common school districts which
have elected to vote for trustees at a time or place separate from the
annual meeting. a. In all union free school districts candidates for the
office of member of the board of education shall be nominated by
petition. Each vacancy upon the board of education to be filled shall be
considered a separate specific office. A separate petition shall be
required to nominate a candidate to each separate office. Each petition
shall be directed to the clerk of the school district, shall be signed
by at least twenty-five qualified voters of the district, or two percent
of the voters who voted in the previous annual election of the members
of the board of education, whichever is greater, such number to be
determined by the number of persons recorded on the poll list as having
voted at such election shall state the residence of each signer, shall
state the name and residence of the candidate and shall describe the
specific vacancy on the board of education for which the candidate is
nominated, which description shall include at least the length of the
term of office and the name of the last incumbent, if any. In the event
that any such nominee shall withdraw his candidacy prior to the
election, such person shall not be considered a candidate unless a new
petition nominating such person in the same manner and within the same
time limitations applicable to other candidates is filed with the clerk
of the district. Each petition shall be filed in the office of the clerk
of the district between the hours of nine a.m. and five p.m., not later
than the thirtieth day preceding the school meeting or election at which
the candidates nominated are to be elected. No person shall be nominated
by petition for more than one separate office.

b. At any school election in such district, the electors may adopt a
proposition providing that, in all subsequent elections, vacancies upon
the board of education shall not be considered separate specific offices
and that the nominating petitions shall not describe any specific
vacancy upon the board of education for which the candidate is
nominated. Such procedure shall be followed with respect to all
nominations and elections in subsequent years until and unless such
proposition is repealed by the electors of the district at a regular
election by the adoption of a proposition to repeal the same.

c. In all common school districts, candidates for the office of member
of the board of trustees shall be nominated by petition. Such petition
shall not describe any specific vacancy on the board of trustees. Each
petition shall be directed to the clerk of the school district and shall
be signed by at least twenty-five qualified voters of the district or
two percent of the voters who voted in the previous annual election of
the members of the board of trustees, whichever is greater. Such a
petition shall state the residence of each signer, and shall contain the
name and residence of the candidate.

d. If a candidate for whom a nominating petition for the office of
member of a board of education has been duly filed withdraws such
petition, dies or becomes otherwise ineligible to hold such office at a
time which is later than fifteen days before the last day for the filing
of nominating petitions as provided in subdivision a of this section,
the time for filing nominating petitions for such office shall be
extended to five p.m. on the fifteenth day after the day on which such
candidate withdrew, died, or otherwise became ineligible to hold such
office, provided that no such nominating petition may be filed after
five p.m. on the seventh day preceding the date of the election.