In an executive order issued on Friday, May 1, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that this year’s school budget vote and board of education election will take place on June 9, exclusively by absentee ballot due to the COVID-19 public health crisis.
The executive order establishes a timeline of actions that schools must undertake leading up to this date, including sending an absentee ballot with a prepaid return envelope to all qualified voters. Qualifications to register to vote with Schoharie CSD are as follows:
- You are a citizen of the United States
- You are at least 18 years of age
- You are a resident of the district for at least thirty (30) days prior to the vote date
- You are not a convicted felon
- You are not in jail or on parole for a felony conviction
- You are not adjudged by a court to be mentally incompetent
Following budget adoption, the district will make the proposed budget available to the public, hold a budget hearing (which will take place remotely), and mail a budget notice to all residents after the budget hearing. This procedure is no different than other years except for the hearing being held remotely.
Additionally, the executive order calls for districts to send each qualified voter a postcard with the date of the election, the date of the budget hearing and the definition of a qualified voter.