No Petitions Filed Yet in School Board Elections

The Board of Education of the School District of the Chathams approved a resolution Monday setting school board elections to take place from 2 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, April 16.

Three seats are up for election this year, one representing Chatham Borough and two representing Chatham Township.

Matthew Gilfillan and John Nonnenmacher currently hold the two seats representing the township. Phil Franz holds the seat from the borough, the same seat which was vacated by Stephen Barna in September.

All three said they intend to run for re-election, but as of Monday, Business Administrator Peter Daquila said, "no petitions have been filed."

The filing deadline is Feb. 25, and board election kits for all interested in running for election are available at the district office weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. The kit can also be downloaded from the district website.

The petition requires 10 signatures of registered voters living in the district, and the verification section must be completed by one of the signatories.

The requirements to run for election to the Board of Education are:

• Hold U.S. citizenship and live for at least one year in the school district
• Be registered to vote in the district before the Feb. 25 filing deadline
• Not hold municipal office or another elected office, and have no interest in any contract with or claim against the board.

On Election Day, Chatham Borough residents will vote at Chatham Middle School; Township residents will vote at Chatham High School.

Residents who will be 18 or older by April 16 can register to vote for school elections by the March 26 registration deadline. Applications for mail-in ballots must be received by mail by the county registrar by April 9, or voters may apply in person on any day up until 3 p.m. on April 15.