This year’s school board and budget vote is Tuesday, May 16, 2023 from 12:00-9:00 p.m. in the gym lobby of the Jr. / Sr. High School.
Who is eligible to vote?
Anyone who is a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years of age and a resident of the Middleburgh School District for at least 30 days prior to the vote is eligible.
What should I bring with me to vote?
Personal identification/proof of residency is required (e.g. driver’s license with current address or utility bill showing your name and current address).
Absentee ballot information
Q: Will absentee ballots be mailed to all registered voters?
A: No. Absentee ballots will not be mailed to all registered voters. Qualified voters who would need to vote by absentee ballot must submit an application.
Q: Who can request an absentee ballot?
A: Qualified voters can request an absentee ballot if they will not be able to vote in person due to illness or physical disability, hospitalization, incarceration (unless incarcerated for a felony), travel outside the voter’s county or city of residence for employment or business reasons, studies, primary caregiver obligations or vacation on the day of election.
Q: When should I submit my absentee ballot application?
A: Applications may not be submitted more than 30 days prior to the election (April 16).
If you would like your absentee ballot mailed to you, you must submit your application at least seven days before the vote (May 9) If you want to pick your ballot up from the district, you must submit your application one day before the vote (May 15).
Voters who wish to vote in the May 16 school budget vote and board election via absentee ballot are encouraged to submit their application as soon as they have filled it out.
Q: I received my absentee ballot. Now what?
A: Once you receive your ballot, carefully read and follow the directions for filling out the ballot. Then, sign and date the envelope where indicated. If your envelope is unsigned or illegible, your vote can not legally be counted.
Q: I made a mistake. Can I get a new ballot?
A: If you tear, deface or wrongly mark your ballot, contact the district clerk at (518) 827-3600 x3625 immediately for instructions on how to obtain a new ballot.
Q: How should I send my ballot back to the school district?
A: Ballots may be returned by mail, or returned in person to the District Office. If your ballot does not arrive at the district office by 5 p.m. on the day of the vote, it will not be counted.
Q: What happens when the district receives my ballot?
A: The district will collect and hold onto all the ballots until the day of the vote. Ballots will be separated from the envelope that bears your name, return address, or other personally identifiable information before they are counted.
Q: Why do I have to sign my name on the envelope?
A: Just as voters are asked to sign a register when they vote in person, voters using absentee ballots are asked to provide a signature. This signature constitutes an affidavit — you are attesting to your identity as a voter who is qualified to cast a ballot in this election. This information is recorded on the district’s voter rolls — a list of names of all the people who cast ballots.
Q: Is my vote still confidential?
A: Yes. While your name will be registered on the district’s voter rolls, your ballot will be separated from the envelope that bears your name, return address, or other personally identifiable information before the envelope holding your ballot is opened.
Q: How can my vote be confidential if the count is open to the public?
A: Since ballots are separated from personally identifiable information before they are counted, the public counting process is anonymous. No one viewing the counting of ballots will be able to match a voter’s personally identifiable information with their specific ballot.
Q: When will the results of the budget vote and board election become available to the public?
A: The annual school budget vote is an official public meeting of the district, and as such, it is open to the public. Middleburgh will begin the counting process on Tuesday, May 16 at 9 p.m. (immediately after the polls close.) The results will be available as soon as all ballots have been accounted for, but no later than 5 p.m. on May 17 (24 hours following the deadline for ballots to be received by the district). Results are typically shared with the media immediately following the count. They are also published on the district’s website.
Q: Whom do I contact if I have any additional questions?
A: Please contact the district clerk Kim Lawyer by email at kim.lawyer@mcsdny.org or by phone at (518) 827-3600 x3625