Q: Will absentee ballots be mailed to all registered voters?
A: No. Absentee ballots will not be mailed to all registered voters as they were for last year’s (2020-21) unprecedented school budget vote. 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, or vacation on the day of election. Additionally, on April 1, 2021 the assembly and senate passed bills that allows COVID-19 to be within the definition of “illness” for school district absentee ballot purposes. (This legislation is only be in effect for the 2021 calendar year.) The bill must still be delivered to the Governor for his review and approval
Q: How and when can I request my absentee ballot?
A: To vote by absentee ballot, you must fill out an application. The application can be obtained in three ways: Download the application from our website, pick up an application in person at the district office, or request that an application be mailed to you. (Please contact Deputy Clerk Rebecca Manson to have an application mailed to you. She can be reached at rmanson@bhbl.org or 518-399-9141, Ext. 85029.)
Q: When should I submit my absentee ballot application?
A: Applications may not be submitted more than 30 days prior to the election (April 18). If you would like your absentee ballot mailed to you, you must submit your application at least seven days before the vote (May 11) If you want to pick your ballot up from the district, you must submit your application one day before the vote (May 17). Voters who wish to vote in the May 18 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, your vote can not be, legally, 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 [phone number] 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 by using the enclosed prepaid return envelope, or [list other options here, if applicable]. If your ballot does not arrive at the district 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. BH-BL will begin the counting process on Tuesday, May 18, 2021 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 19 (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 Deputy District Clerk Rebecca Manson for questions about absentee ballot applications & absentee ballots. Please contact Assistant Superintendent Dr. Chris Abdoo for questions pertaining to the school budget.