(1) The election of supervisors for each soil and water conservation district shall be held every 2 years. The elections shall be held at the time of the general election provided for by s. 100.041. The office of the supervisor of a soil and water conservation district is a nonpartisan office, and candidates for such office are prohibited from campaigning or qualifying for election based on party affiliation.

(a) Each candidate for supervisor for such district shall qualify as directed by chapter 99.

(b) Each nominee who collects or expends campaign contributions shall conduct her or his campaign for supervisor of a soil and water conservation district in accordance with the provisions of chapter 106. Candidates who neither receive contributions nor make expenditures, other than expenditures for verification of signatures on petitions, are exempt from the provisions of chapter 106 requiring establishment of bank accounts and appointment of a campaign treasurer, but shall file periodic reports as required by s. 106.07.

(c) The names of all nominees on behalf of whom such nominating petitions have been filed shall appear upon ballots in accordance with the general election laws. All qualified electors residing within the district shall be eligible to vote in such election. The candidates who receive the largest number of the votes cast from each group of candidates in such election shall be the elected supervisors from such group for such district. In the case of a newly created district participating in a regular election for the first time, three groups of candidates shall be elected for terms of 4 years, and two groups shall be elected for initial terms of 2 years. Each candidate elected shall assume office on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January following the election.

(2) After the issuance of a certificate of organization of a soil and water conservation district by the Department of State, or in the event of a vacancy resulting from death, resignation, removal, or otherwise, each vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the remaining supervisors of the district until the next regular election.

History.—s. 6, ch. 18144, 1937; s. 4, ch. 19473, 1939; CGL 1940 Supp. 4151(477); s. 2, ch. 28094, 1953; s. 3, ch. 67-207; ss. 10, 14, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 1, ch. 72-114; s. 2, ch. 74-53; s. 2, ch. 78-261; s. 42, ch. 84-302; s. 45, ch. 90-315; s. 925, ch. 97-103; s. 31, ch. 2001-40; s. 88, ch. 2002-1; s. 54, ch. 2007-30.