The elections of members of the Board of Education shall be held at the annual district meeting. The elections of members of the Board of Education shall be held on the third Tuesday in May, unless this date conflicts with religious observances on that day, in which case it shall be held on the second Tuesday in May. The polls shall be open for those hours designated by the district. The following items shall be voted upon:

1. the annual budget,
2. any vacancies on the Board of Education, and
3. any special propositions that have been properly presented.

Voting: Voting machines shall be used for recording the votes on all elections, budget votes, and votes on special propositions. The only exception to the use of voting machines shall be an emergency situation whereby the machines are unavailable due to a mechanical failure or state or local law prohibiting their use. If this should arise, paper ballots will be used.

Each voting machine shall have at least two election inspectors appointed by the Board in attendance during all voting hours. It shall be the duty of the District Clerk and assistant clerk or clerks to keep a poll list containing the name and legal residence of each person before such person is permitted to vote.

Entering a voting machine with another person is prohibited, except upon request from a voter, in which case an election inspector shall be allowed to enter the voting machine with that voter for the sole purpose of assisting that person in the actual manipulation of the voting machine. The election inspector shall not advise or induce such voter to vote on any proposition or candidate, and the election inspector shall never reveal the vote(s) recorded by the voter to any other person at any time.

Write-in ballot slots are required. Ballots containing the names of nominated candidates will be provided by the Board. On a paper ballot, one blank space will be provided under the name of the last candidate for each office so that voters may vote for candidates who have not been nominated for the offices to be filled at the election. There will be as many write-in slots as there are vacancies at the time of the election.

Absentee Ballots: The Board provides for the use of absentee ballots. The application must be received by the District Clerk at least seven days prior to the election, if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter; or the application must be received by the day before the election, if the ballot is to be personally delivered. The application must be completed and returned with the ballot, and the individual must verify therein that he/she meets all voting requirements, and explain the reason for his/her inability to appear in person to vote.

In particular, the individual must explain that he/she will be unable to appear to vote in person on the day of the school district election because:

1. he/she will be a patient in a hospital, or unable to appear personaijy at the polling place on such day because of illness or physical disability.
2. his/her duties, occupation, business, or studies will require him/her to be outside of the county or city of his/her residence on such day;
3. he/she will be on vacation outside the county or city of his/her residence on such day; or
4. he/she will be detained in jail awaiting action by a grand jury; awaiting trial; or is confined in prison after conviction for an offense other than a felony.

The district shall request registration lists from the Board of Elections for those voters whose registration record has been marked “permanently disabled” and shall automatically mail absentee ballots to such voters in advance of each district vote or election.

Eligibility to Vote: A person shall be entitled to vote in any school district election and in all matters placed upon the official ballot, if such person is:

1. a citizen of the United States;
2. at least 18 years of age;
3. a resident within the school district for a penod of 30 days next preceding the election at which such person offers to vote;
4. qualified to register or is registered to vote in accord with section 5-106 of the Election Law which excludes:
   1. those convicted felons who have not been pardoned or had their rights of citizenship restored, those whose maximum sentence of imprisonment has not expired; an/ior those who have not been discharged from parole;
   2. persons adjudged mentally incompetent by a court; and
5. listed upon current voter registration lists maintained by the Board of Elections which, pursuant to New York Election Law, are delivered to the district by such Board of Elections. A failure to register does not mean that an individual is not a qualified voter, but rather that he/she is ineligible to vote at the particular district election. The Board shall appoint a Board of Registration and shall designate the registration place and hours for district residents.

Nominations: Candidates for the office of member of the Board of Education shall be nominated by petition. Such petition shall be directed to the clerk of the district, shall contain the signatures and addresses of at least 25 qualified voters of the district or 2 percent of the voters who voted in the previous election, whichever is greater, and shall state the name and residence of the candidate. Each petition shall be filed with the District Clerk between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. not later than 30 days preceding the annual meeting at which the candidates so nominated are to be elected.

The District Clerk will supervise the procedure used to establish the order of names on the ballot. The Board may reject nominations if the candidate is ineligible or has declared an unwillingness to serve. Candidates for the Board are nominated to serve at large and do not run for a specific seat on the Board.

Electioneering: Electioneering during the hours of any vote is prohibited within the polling place or within 100 feet of any such polling place. Displays or handout items of any political nature, except those provided by law, shall be prohibited by any individual, group or organization m any school building on those days when the polls are open for voting on school district matters, including, but not limited to, the annual school budget, candidates for the Board of Education, special propositions, etc.

Cross-reference

Reference

Adoption date

November 12, 1992

Revised

11 Boice Road
P. O. Box 2033
Hyde Park, NY 12538
(845) 229-4000
For Emergency Information (845) 229-4001
District Fax: 229-4056
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