Voter Information/Absentee Ballot - Valley Central School District

Eligibility to Vote

You may vote if you are a United States citizen, age 18 or older, and a district resident for at least 30 days prior to the vote and are registered to vote.

How to Register to Vote

You may register for the School District annual election at our Administration Building, 944 State Route 17K, Montgomery on Voter Registration Day. Registration Day this year is May 14, 2024, from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. If you have registered to vote in general elections with the Orange County Board of Elections, then you are registered to vote in the School District’s annual election.

Military Voters may register using the Military Voter Application for Personal Registration (this application is not necessary for Military Voters registered with the Orange County Board of Elections).

If you would like to request that an application be mailed to you, please contact Ellen McGoldrick, the District Clerk, by email or call (845) 457-2400, ext. 18511. Please feel free to drop off your application at the District Office OR you can mail it to the following address:

Valley Central School District
Attn: District Clerk
944 State Route 17K
Montgomery, NY 12549

Absentee Ballot Process

If you are unable to vote in person on the day of the vote, you may be eligible to vote by absentee ballot. An application for absentee ballot may be obtained from the District Clerk or you can download and print the PDFs below. Requests for an application must be made at least seven days prior to the vote.

If you would like to pick up or request that an application be mailed to you, please contact Ellen McGoldrick, the District Clerk, by email or call (845) 457-2400, ext. 18511.

You may personally deliver your application to the district clerk no later than the day before the election. You may not submit your application more than 30 days prior to the election.

Please feel free to drop off your application at the District Office OR you can mail it to the following address:

Valley Central School District
Attn: District Clerk
944 State Route 17K
Montgomery, NY 12549

Once your application is received, an absentee ballot will be sent to you. If you request that the absentee ballot be mailed to you, the district clerk will mail your ballot by regular mail no later than 6 days prior to the election. Otherwise, the district clerk will deliver your ballot to you or your agent, as designated on your application, when you or your agent appears in the district clerk’s office.

Absentee ballots must be received by 5 p.m. on voting day.

FAQs about Absentee Ballots

Who may use this application for a school district absentee ballot?
You may use this application if you are a qualified voter who resides in a school district that provides for personal registration of voters. You may only apply for an absentee ballot on your own behalf.

If you are unsure whether your district provides for personal registration, please contact your district clerk. If you reside in a district that does not provide for personal registration, you may contact your school district to apply for an absentee ballot.

Who is a qualified voter?
You are qualified to vote in your school district if you are:

a citizen of the United States;
at least 18 years of age; and
a resident of the school district for a period of at least 30 days preceding the meeting or election at which you seek to vote.

No person shall have the right to register for or vote at any school meeting or election who would not be qualified to register for or vote at an election in accordance with the provisions of Election Law §5-106.

Information for military voters:
Do not use this application if you are:

a qualified voter who will be absent from your school district on the day of the election as a result of actual military service;
a qualified voter who has been discharged from actual military service within 30 days of the election in which you seek to vote; or
the spouse, parent, child, or dependent of a military voter as set forth above who is accompanying such military voter and who is qualified to vote in the same school district as the military voter.

If you meet any of the above criteria, you are entitled to special provisions if you apply for a military ballot.

Information for voters with an illness or disability:
If you check the box indicating your illness or disability is permanent, and you are identified as a permanently disabled voter by the county board of elections, once your application is approved you will automatically receive a ballot for each school district election in which you are eligible to vote, without
having to apply again. You may sign the absentee ballot application yourself, or you may make your mark and have your mark witnessed in the spaces provided on the bottom of the application. Please note that a power of attorney or printed name stamp is not allowed for any voting purpose.

Where and when to return this application:
If you request that the absentee ballot be mailed to you, your application must be received by the district clerk for your school district no later than 7 days before the election for which you seek an absentee ballot. Otherwise, you may personally deliver your application to the district clerk no later than the day before the election. You may not submit your application more than 30 days prior to the election.

When your absentee ballot will be sent to you:
If you request that the absentee ballot be mailed to you, the district clerk will mail your ballot by regular mail no later than 6 days prior to the election. Otherwise, the district clerk will deliver your ballot to you or your agent, as designated on your application, when you or your agent appears in the district
clerk’s office.

For your ballot to be canvassed, it must be received by the school district clerk by 5 p.m. on the day of the election.

Early Mail Voting

School District Early Mail Ballot Application

To receive an early mail ballot:

In-Person: Application must be personally delivered to your District Clerk not later than the day before the election.

By Mail: Application must be received by the District Clerk not later than the 7th day before the vote. The ballot itself must be received by the District Clerk by 5:00 PM on the day of the vote.

Who may apply for an early mail ballot?
Each person must apply for themselves. It is a felony to make a false statement in an application for an early mail ballot, to attempt to cast an illegal ballot, or to help anyone to cast an illegal ballot.

Information for military voters:
If you are applying for an early mail ballot because you or your family are in the military, do not use this application. You are entitled to special legal provisions if you apply for a military ballot. For more information about military, contact the District Clerk to receive the appropriate application form.

Where and when to return your application:
You may not submit your application more than 30 days prior to the election. Applications for an early mail ballot that will be delivered in-person at the office of the District Clerk to the voter or an agent of the voter must be
received not later than the day before the election. Applications for a ballot to be delivered by mail to the voter must be received at the District Clerk’s office no later than 7 days before the election.

Options available to you if you have an illness or disability:
You may sign the early mail ballot application yourself, or you may make your mark and have your mark witnessed in the spaces provided on the bottom of the application. Please note that a power of attorney or printed name
stamp is not allowed for any voting purpose.