§ 2018. Nomination of candidates for the office of member of the board of education in all union free school districts or for the office of member of the board of trustees in all common school districts which have elected to vote for trustees at a time or place separate from the annual meeting. a. In all union free school districts candidates for the office of member of the board of education shall be nominated by petition. Each vacancy upon the board of education to be filled shall be considered a separate specific office. A separate petition shall be required to nominate a candidate to each separate office. Each petition shall be directed to the clerk of the school district, shall be signed by at least twenty-five qualified voters of the district, or two percent of the voters who voted in the previous annual election of the members of the board of education, whichever is greater, such number to be determined by the number of persons recorded on the poll list as having voted at such election shall state the residence of each signer, shall state the name and residence of the candidate and shall describe the specific vacancy on the board of education for which the candidate is nominated, which description shall include at least the length of the term of office and the name of the last incumbent, if any. In the event that any such nominee shall withdraw his candidacy prior to the election, such person shall not be considered a candidate unless a new petition nominating such person in the same manner and within the same time limitations applicable to other candidates is filed with the clerk of the district. Each petition shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the district between the hours of nine a.m. and five p.m., not later than the thirtieth day preceding the school meeting or election at which the candidates nominated are to be elected. No person shall be nominated by petition for more than one separate office.

b. At any school election in such district, the electors may adopt a proposition providing that, in all subsequent elections, vacancies upon the board of education shall not be considered separate specific offices and that the nominating petitions shall not describe any specific vacancy upon the board of education for which the candidate is nominated. Such procedure shall be followed with respect to all nominations and elections in subsequent years until and unless such proposition is repealed by the electors of the district at a regular election by the adoption of a proposition to repeal the same.

c. In all common school districts, candidates for the office of member of the board of trustees shall be nominated by petition. Such petition shall not describe any specific vacancy on the board of trustees. Each petition shall be directed to the clerk of the school district and shall be signed by at least twenty-five qualified voters of the district or two percent of the voters who voted in the previous annual election of the members of the board of trustees, whichever is greater. Such a petition shall state the residence of each signer, and shall contain the name and residence of the candidate.

d. If a candidate for whom a nominating petition for the office of member of a board of education has been duly filed withdraws such petition, dies or becomes otherwise ineligible to hold such office at a time which is later than fifteen days before the last day for the filing of nominating petitions as provided in subdivision a of this section, the time for filing nominating petitions for such office shall be extended to five p.m. on the fifteenth day after the day on which such candidate withdrew, died, or otherwise became ineligible to hold such office, provided that no such nominating petition may be filed after five p.m. on the seventh day preceding the date of the election.