Voter eligibility

You are eligible to vote if you are a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, registered to vote with the Albany County Board of Elections, and a resident of the school district for at least 30 days prior to the vote.

Voter registration

You must be a registered voter to participate in the annual school budget vote. Residents who have voted  previously in the general election are automatically registered to vote in school district elections. District residents who have questions about voter registration and eligibility should e-mail the Albany County Board of Elections or call 518-487-5060.

Absentee ballots

Absentee ballots will be automatically mailed to disabled voters in late April. Anyone else who wishes to vote by absentee ballot needs to stop by the district office, located at Watervliet Jr./Sr. High School, to pick up an application. Once the application is submitted, (mail-in deadline is Tuesday, May 14) a ballot will be mailed to you. You may pick up an application and ballot in person until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21. Absentee ballots will be counted only if they are returned to the district office no later than 5 p.m. on election day, Tuesday, May 21, 2024.

Qualifications to vote by absentee ballot include:

• Absent from your county on Election Day.
• Unable to appear at the polls due to permanent illness or disability.
• Unable to appear because you are the primary care giver of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled.
• A resident or patient of a Veterans Health Administration Hospital.
• Detained in jail awaiting Grand Jury action or confined in prison after conviction for an offense other than a felony.

NEW THIS YEAR: Early Ballot Voting for any Qualified School District Voter

Early ballot voting is available as a result of the new state Early Mail Voter Act, effective January 1, 2024. Early voting is possible without any reasons needed for voting early. Similar to absentee ballot voting, you must fill out an application to vote early. There are separate applications for early voting or absentee ballot voting, but the application process and deadlines are the same for both.

If the application requests that a ballot be mailed to the voter, it must be received by the district clerk no later than 7 days before the election. An application personally delivered to the district clerk must be received by the district clerk no later than the day before the election. Applications may not be submitted more than 30 days prior to the election. Completed ballots must be received by the district clerk by 5 p.m. on the day of the election.

Return your completed ballot application to:

Bernadette Boardman, District Clerk
Watervliet City School District
1245 Hillside Drive, Watervliet, NY 12189

If you have questions, please email bboardman@vlietschools.org or call 518-629-3201.

Polling sites

Be sure to bring proof of identity with you to the polls (such as a driver’s license or non-driver’s identification card). The polls are open for the annual school budget vote from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.

• Elks Club, 4th Avenue & 5th Street
  All locations in the district south of the northernmost wall of the Arsenal and the entire area of Mannsville.
• Watervliet Elementary, 10th Avenue & 25th Street
  All locations in the district north of the northernmost wall of the Arsenal.

Board of Education Election

One to two seats on the Board are up for election each year. Voting on candidates for Board membership takes place during the Annual Election of the School District (Budget Vote) on the third Tuesday of May. The next Board election will take place on Tuesday, May 21, 2024.

Members of the Board of Education are elected by the voters of the district to establish policy and direct the administration of our schools.

Individuals are eligible for election to the Board if they are qualified voters of the district (district resident, U.S. citizen, 18 and older) and can read and write. New York State Education Law does not limit the number of terms a member may serve.

Board members serve volunteer three-year terms and receive no salaries or other compensation.

Running for the school board?

Learn about the requirements, deadlines, and processes that must be followed to run for your local school board. Visit the New York State School Board Association’s website