Local school districts add dropboxes to ensure voters can return ballots by deadline

June 8 update: The state has extended the deadline for mail-in ballots through June 16. The deadline for dropping off a ballot in person will remain June 9.

A disruption in the supply chain of envelopes from a company responsible for producing and mailing absentee ballots has created ballot mailing delays in school districts across New York State.

As Governor Cuomo has ordered that all New York State school district budget votes and the election of members to the Board of Education be conducted by absentee ballot only, the New Paltz, Saugerties and Kingston school districts have been working with a third-party company, NTS Data Services, to print and mail absentee ballots to registered voters. NTS Data, located in Niagara Falls, works with county boards of elections and school districts to manage their voter databases and run elections.

On Friday, May 29, NTS Data Services informed officials at local school districts that a mass supply-chain envelope shortage delayed ballot mailing in dozens of districts, including New Paltz, Saugerties and Kingston. This resulted in the ballots not being mailed until Wednesday, June 3.

Given the delay in mailing ballots to voters, along with possible pandemic-related postal system delays, there may not be sufficient time for ballots to be returned by mail in time to meet the Tuesday, June 9 at 5 p.m. deadline. In response, local districts have placed locked ballot boxes at school buildings. The boxes are monitored by school security cameras to safeguard ballots and ensure the integrity of the vote.

In New Paltz, voters are encouraged to return ballots to the lock boxes at one of these locations:

• High school, 130 South Putt Corners Road

• Middle school, 196 Main Street

• Lenape Elementary, Eugene L. Brown Drive

• Duzine Elementary: 31 Sunset Ridge

NPCSD’s locked ballot boxes will be set up from 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 4 and will remain in place through Tuesday, June 9 at 5 p.m.

In Saugerties, it is suggested that voters return ballots to the lock boxes at one of these locations:

• Business office (behind the Saugerties Jr./Sr. High School), Sunday, June 7 from noon to 6 p.m., Monday, June 8 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday, June 9 from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Cahill, Morse, Mt. Marion, Riccardi (main entrance), Monday, June 8 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday, June 9 from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In Kingston, voters are asked to return ballots to the lock boxes at one of these locations:

• Meagher Administrative Offices, 21 Wynkoop Place

• Kingston High School, 403 Broadway

• Bailey Middle School, 118 Merilina Avenue

• Miller Middle School, 65 Fording Place Road

• Chambers Elementary School, 945 Morton Boulevard

• Crosby Elementary School, 767 Neighborhood Road

• Edson Elementary School, 116 Merilina Avenue

• Robert Graves Elementary, 345 Mountain View Avenue

• George Washington Elementary, 67 Wall Street

• John F. Kennedy Elementary, 107 Gross Street