SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. SB 2492

    Amendment No.    

                            CHAMBER ACTION
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11  Senator Kirkpatrick moved the following amendment:

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13         Senate Amendment 

14         On page 1, line 16, through

15            page 2, line 22, delete those lines

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17  and insert:  elections of Alachua County School Board members.

18         (1)  Each person seeking election to the Alachua County

19  School Board shall file qualification papers with the

20  supervisor of elections which do not contain any reference to

21  political party affiliation.

22         (2)(a)  A person seeking to qualify for election to the

23  Alachua County School Board may qualify for election to such

24  office by means of the petitioning process prescribed in this

25  subsection. A person qualifying by this alternative method is

26  not required to pay the qualifying fee or party assessment

27  required by state law. A person using this petitioning process

28  shall file an oath with the supervisor of elections stating

29  that he or she intends to qualify by this alternative method.

30  The candidate must indicate in his or her oath for which group

31  or district he or she is running. The oath shall be filed at

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                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. SB 2492

    Amendment No.    





  1  any time after the first Tuesday after the first Monday in

  2  January of the year in which the election is held, but prior

  3  to the 21st day preceding the first day of the qualifying

  4  period. No signatures shall be obtained by a candidate on any

  5  nominating petition until the candidate has filed the oath.

  6         (b)  Upon receipt of a written oath from a candidate,

  7  the supervisor of elections shall provide the candidate with

  8  petition forms in sufficient numbers to facilitate the

  9  gathering of signatures pursuant to this subsection. Such

10  forms shall be prescribed by the Division of Elections. No

11  signature shall be counted toward the number of signatures

12  required unless it is on a petition form prescribed pursuant

13  to this subsection.

14         (c)  When a candidate has filed the oath prescribed in

15  this subsection, the candidate may begin to seek signatures on

16  petitions supporting his or her candidacy. Only signatures of

17  electors who are registered in Alachua County shall be counted

18  toward obtaining the minimum number of signatures prescribed

19  in this subsection. A candidate for the office of school board

20  of Alachua County shall obtain the signatures of a number of

21  qualified electors equal to at least 3 percent of the total

22  number of registered electors of Alachua County as shown by

23  the compilation by the Department of State for the last

24  preceding general election.

25         (2)(a)  The name of an unopposed candidate for the

26  office of school board member shall not appear on any ballot,

27  and such candidate shall be deemed to have voted for himself

28  at the general election.

29         (b)  If two candidates, neither of whom is a write-in

30  candidate, qualify in a school-board-member residence area,

31  the names of those candidates shall be placed on the ballot at

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                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. SB 2492

    Amendment No.    





  1  the general election.

  2         (c)  If more than two candidates, none of whom is a

  3  write-in candidate, qualify in a school-board-member residence

  4  area, the names of those candidates shall be placed on the

  5  ballot at the first primary election.  If any candidate for

  6  such office receives a majority of the votes cast for such

  7  office in the first primary election, the name of the

  8  candidate who receives such majority shall not appear on any

  9  other ballot unless a write-in candidate has qualified for

10  such office.  An unopposed candidate shall be deemed to have

11  voted for himself at the general election.  If no candidate

12  for such office receives a majority of the votes cast for such

13  office in the first primary election, the names of the two

14  candidates receiving the highest number of votes for such

15  office shall be placed on the general election ballot.  If

16  more than two candidates receive an equal and highest number

17  of votes, the name of each candidate receiving an equal and

18  highest number of votes shall be placed on the general

19  election ballot.  In any contest in which there is a tie for

20  second place and the candidate placing first did not receive a

21  majority of the votes cast for such office, the name of the

22  candidate placing first and the name of each candidate tying

23  for second shall be placed on the general election ballot.

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