Voters in the Pine Bush Central School District will have new polling sites for the upcoming budget vote and board of education election in May.

 

 

The board of education approved  combining voting districts 1 and 2 together into district 1, and districts 3 and 4 together into district 2.

Residents of the towns of Gardiner, Shawangunk, Crawford and Montgomery will now vote at Pine Bush High School in the new district 1. Previously, these residents voted at the Pine Bush Fire House on Route 52 and the Walker Valley Fire House.

Residents of the towns of Mt. Hope, Wallkill and Mamakating will vote at Circleville Elementary School. Previously, these residents voted at the Bloomingburg Town Park at Mamakating and  the Circleville Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

Assistant Superintendent for Business Joseph Lenz presented the proposal to the board of education and the public in January. He listed the pros and cons of combining the districts but said the pros outweigh any cons.

Staffing four poll sites for each election has become a challenge. Each site must have two machine operators per voting machine. There are two machines at two of the district’s polling sites and one at the other two sites for a total of six machines and 12 operators.

In addition, each site requires 5 to 6 table workers and one chief inspector. Going to two polling sites with two machines in each will reduce the required staffing dramatically, from 36-40 workers to 20-22. With a 15-17 hour work day, it was difficult to get enough trained poll workers. The district has recruited poll workers from adjacent districts in order to properly staff the board elections in the past.

“If we were not able to have adequate staffing, we would have to forfeit the budget vote,” said Mr. Lenz.

This year, voter sign-in will be done using iPads. Having the vote in our school buildings ensures ample internet availability whereas the district would have to purchase hotspots for offsite locations.

Our district sites will each have a full-day security officer present from the beginning to the end of the day.

The cons of combining these locations include some voters having to travel farther in order to vote. The two schools being used – Pine Bush High School and Circleville Elementary School – may possibly have their physical education programs displaced for the day and there will be increased traffic at the buildings. However, with entrances directly from the outside parking lots and increased security, there will be no contact between students and voters.

“We took into account all possible ramifications before making this decision” said Mr. Lenz. “Given the technology that will be necessary starting this year, our buildings can handle that without any modifications. Administering the election at two sites will be much more manageable for all involved. Fiscally, it is better for the district to combine voting locations and we will do everything possible to make sure our residents are aware of the voting location changes before the budget vote on Tuesday, May 21.”

New in 2024: Early Mail-in Voting 

This year, New York State has instituted early mail-in voting for any residents wishing to vote in this manner. Similar to absentee voting, registered voters must request a mail-in ballot in writing within 30 days of the election (that is after April 21). The form to request an early mail-in ballot will be posted on our district website. After verifying the status of the voter, the district will either mail the early mail-in ballot or the voter may pick it up at the district office. If a ballot is to be mailed, the request must be received at least seven days before the election. All completed ballots must be received back to the district clerk by 5 p.m. on the budget vote and board of education election day, May 21.