School Budget Vote Executive Order Explains Deadlines

School districts will be voting on their budget, propositions and board members on Tuesday under a new COVID-19 shutdown procedure, according to Governor Cuomo.

All votes will be cast via an absentee ballot per Governor Cuomo's executive order and the election deadlines have been moved because some districts struggled getting ballots to voters. Residents of each district should have received their ballots in the mail, otherwise they should call the district office immediately.

On Monday, the Governor's office released details of the executive order defining the deadlines that schools must follow.

Voters can drop their completed ballots off at the district office before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9th. No ballots will be accepted for drop off after 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Additionally, voters can mail in their ballot using the pre-paid postage, pre-addressed envelope provided. All ballots delivered by the postal service to the school district will be accepted up until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16th.

Here's the Governor's executive order and the portion that applies to the budget vote:

• Sections 2018-a and 2018-b of the Education Law, to the extent necessary to allow any absentee ballot for an election held on June 9, 2020 and received by mail in the office of the clerk of the school district or designee of the trustees or school board not later than June 16, 2020 to be canvassed for such election.  No ballots for such election shall be accepted by the clerk of the school district or designee of the trustees or school board after 5 p.m. on June 9, 2020 except those received by mail in accordance with this provision. Any receptacle used for hand delivery of absentee ballots in such election shall be closed and removed at 5 p.m. on June 9, 2020; The ballots therein shall remain unopened pending delivery of mailed ballots, and shall be removed and canvassed after 5 p.m. on June 16, 2020.