Secretary of State outlines election timeline, voter-education needs for proposed school-district restructuring

For the record, I'm Sarah Copeland Hanzas, your secretary of state, she told the Conference Committee on Education as she reviewed elections considerations tied to the state's school district restructuring proposal.

The secretary of state's office told the committee that establishing new district lines will be the first and most technical step, and that the legislature should build in time for mapping, candidate filing and a voter-education program so voters understand new ward lines and who they will be voting for. “We would recommend that you leave yourselves at least 18 months before that initial election,” Copeland Hanzas said, urging the committee to plan backwards from any target election date.

The timing matters because ward boundaries affect candidate filing deadlines, ballot proofing and ballot production. The office recommended that ward boundaries be signed into law by May 15 for a November election, or by the…