enabling school districts to adopt partisan school district elections.

HB 356 would have allowed school districts to choose whether to hold partisan elections for school board seats, meaning candidates could run under political party labels (e.g., Democrat or Republican) instead of as nonpartisan candidates. This change would directly affect school districts that opt to adopt this system and the voters who participate in those elections. The bill’s key provision was amending election rules to permit partisan contests, shifting the process from nonpartisan to party-based voting for school board positions. The bill passed both legislative chambers in May 2025 but was vetoed by Governor Ayotte on July 7, 2025, so it did not become law.