Partisan School Board Elections
Sponsor: Florida Legislature
The marker is the 60% share this measure needed to pass.
In plain English
This amendment would change Florida school board elections from nonpartisan to partisan elections, meaning candidates would be identified by political party affiliation on ballots. The change would first take effect in the 2026 general election for all district school board races.
Arguments for and against
Attributed claims extracted from the public record. Neither side is endorsed here.
Supporters argue that partisan elections would increase voter information by clearly identifying candidates' political affiliations and allow voters to make choices aligned with their values. They contend that school board members are already influenced by partisan politics despite nonpartisan ballot designation.
Opponents argue that nonpartisan elections help school boards focus on local education issues rather than national partisan divisions, and that partisan labeling would increase polarization in school governance. Critics contend that school board work is fundamentally about managing schools and serving students, not advancing partisan agendas.
Voter considerations
The measure required 60% voter approval to pass; it received 54.97% support, falling short of the constitutional threshold needed for adoption.
Who's behind this measure?
Public positions and campaign money—not a recommendation for how to vote.
Supporting groups and campaigns
- Florida Legislature (opens in a new tab)Secondary reporting
Committee totals have not been collected. This does not mean $0.
Opposing groups and campaigns
- Florida Tax Watch (opens in a new tab)Secondary reporting
- League of Women Voters of Florida (opens in a new tab)Secondary reporting
Committee totals have not been collected. This does not mean $0.
Dated snapshots, not live totals. Missing amounts are not zero. Committees are shown separately.
About sources & coverage
Group positions come from the linked sources. Secondary reporting and first-party statements are distinct from official filings. Committee-wide totals may fund other measures; they are not allocations to this measure. Donor amounts are already part of receipts; neither donors nor overlapping snapshots are added together.
Groups as listed by Ballotpedia (secondary reporting), retrieved 2026-11-08: campaigns, parties, unions and organizations; elected officials and candidates omitted. Additional groups quoted from lwvmanatee.org. No supporting groups found in verified sources. Some group positions are retained from earlier sources; this is not a new endorsement.
No verified ballot-measure committee finance (Yes/No committees) on file for this measure yet. This is a gap in our records, not a $0 total.
Official ballot summary
Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to require members of a district school board to be elected in a partisan election rather than a nonpartisan election as currently required by the State Constitution. The amendment would first apply to the 2026 general election.
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