You must be a U.S. citizen, 18 years or older, and a district resident for at least 30 days prior to the vote. Personal identification and proof of residence may be requested.

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, primary caregiver obligations or vacation on the day of election.

Voting by absentee ballot requires an absentee ballot application to be submitted. Applications are due seven days prior to the vote if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter. After that date, please contact the District Clerk about absentee ballots. In order to count, completed absentee ballots must be received by 5 p.m. on the day of the vote.

More information

Contact District Clerk Amber Lanigan at 518-869-3576, ext. 0442 or lanigana@scolonie.org for more information or with questions about absentee ballots.

Persons serving in the military, along with their spouses and/or dependents, already had the ability to register as a military voter in New York state, entitling them to receive an absentee ballot for all federal, state and local races that they would be otherwise entitled to vote in if they were to go to their assigned polling place based on their New York residence, according to the New York State Board of Elections.

In November 2019, the state implemented a new law expanding that ability, giving military voters the opportunity to cast their ballots for the election of members of the board of education and school district, public library trustees and the adoption of the annual budget, school district public library budget and referenda.

Military ballots will be automatically be mailed to each voter who had previously registered as a military voter in New York state. If you are in the military, and you would like to receive a ballot, applications are available and need to be returned to the district by the annual deadline.