Article 2. Order And Call Of Elections of California Education Code >> Division 1. >> Title 1. >> Part 4. >> Chapter 3. >> Article 2.

The act authorized by this code of any officer, board, county committee, group of electors, or any other persons or agencies which commences an election proceeding, and any mandatory provision of this code requiring that an election be held, is an "order of election."

Whenever a valid and verified petition, authorized by this code and requesting that a board election be held in any school district or in territory contained in one or more school districts or community college district, is received by the officer or board designated by law to receive the petition, such petition shall be deemed an order for calling such election unless the officer or board is by law authorized to take some action upon the petition other than ordering the election requested in the petition. If an election is ordered, the county superintendent having jurisdiction shall prepare a resolution setting forth the specifications required in Section 5322 as preliminary procedure to the call of such election.

Whenever an election is ordered, the governing board of the district or the board or officer authorized by this code to make such designations shall, concurrently with or after the order of election but not less than 123 days prior to the date of the election in the case of an election for governing board members, or at least 88 days prior to the date of the election in the case of an election on a measure, including a bond measure, by resolution delivered to the county superintendent of schools and the officer conducting the election, or, in the case of an election on a measure, only to the officer conducting the election, specify the following, or such of the following as he or she or it may have authority to designate:
  (a) The date of the election.
  (b) The purpose of the election. The resolution or resolutions shall be known as "specifications of the election order" and shall set forth the authority for ordering the election, the authority for the specification of the election order, the signature of the officer or the clerk of the board by law authorized to make the designations therein contained, and, in the case of an election on a measure, the exact wording of the measure as it is to appear on the ballot. Pursuant to Section 13247 of the Elections Code, the statement of the measure to appear on the ballot shall not exceed 75 words.

The county superintendent having jurisdiction shall at least 130 days prior to the date of a governing board member election consolidated pursuant to Section 5340, notify the governing boards concerned of the order of consolidation of governing board elections under his or her jurisdiction. Such notice of consolidation shall be given in writing.

At least 120 days prior to the date of the election in the case of an election for governing board members, the county superintendent of schools shall deliver to the county elections official in the county where the election is to be held, copies of:
  (a) The order of election.
  (b) The formal notice of election.

Any school district election or community college district election, except a bond measure election, ordered to be held in accordance with this code shall be called by the county superintendent of schools having jurisdiction of the election by doing both of the following:
  (a) Posting or publication of notices of election.
  (b) Delivery of a copy of the formal notice of election to the county elections official at least 120 days prior to the date of the election in the case of an election for governing board members.

If, by 5:00 p.m. on the 83rd day prior to the day fixed for the governing board member election, only one person has been nominated for any elective office to be filled at that election, or no one has been nominated for the office, or in the case of members to be elected from the district at large, the number of candidates for governing board member at large does not exceed the number of offices to be filled at that election, or in the case of members to be nominated by trustee area and elected at large, the number of candidates do not exceed the number required to be elected governing board member at large nominated by that trustee area, or in the case of members to be elected at large in accordance with Sections 5030.5 , 5030.6, and 5030.7, no more than one person has been nominated for each membership position, and a petition signed by 10 percent of the voters or 50 voters, whichever is the smaller number, in the district or trustee area, if elected by trustee area, requesting that a school district election be held for the offices has not been presented to the officer conducting the election, appointment will be made as prescribed by Section 5328. The provisions of this section and Section 5328 shall also apply to elections for membership on a county board of education.

If pursuant to Section 5326 a district election is not held, the qualified person or persons nominated shall be seated at the organizational meeting of the board, or if no person has been nominated or if an insufficient number is nominated, the governing board shall appoint a qualified person or persons, as the case may be, at a meeting prior to the day fixed for the election, and such appointee or appointees shall be seated at the organizational meeting of the board as if elected at a district election.

If no one has been nominated to an office, prior to making an appointment to that office pursuant to Section 5328, the governing board shall cause to be published a notice once in a newspaper of general circulation published in the district or, if no such newspaper is published in the district, in a newspaper having general circulation in the district, stating that the board intends to make an appointment and informing persons of the procedure available for applying for the office.

Whenever a candidate has filed a declaration of candidacy the name of the candidate shall be printed upon the ballot unless the candidate has died and that fact has been ascertained by the officer charged with the duty of printing the ballots at least 68 days before the election.