The Jamesville-DeWitt Central School District is planning a number of COVID-19 health and safety precautions for the May 18 budget vote and school board election, including moving the polls inside J-D High School’s main gymnasium.
Voters will park in the same lots as they have in past years, but instead of entering and voting in the atrium outside the main gym, they will directly enter the gym from doors to the left of the atrium entrance.
This setup will separate the public from students, allow for one-way traffic as voters enter and exit the polling area and offer more space for social distancing. The district will have hand sanitizer and face masks available, and volunteers will assist in sanitizing the pens voters will use to mark their ballots and the privacy areas where they will complete their ballots.
Those uncomfortable voting in-person may request an absentee ballot application. To be eligible to vote by absentee ballot, voters must be a U.S citizen, at least 18 years old and a resident of the school district for at least 30 days prior to the vote.
Absentee ballot applications may be requested by contacting Tish Hauser at the J-D District Office, 315-445-8304 or thauser@jd.cnyric.org. The application must be returned to the district office by May 17 if the ballot is to be picked up, and ballots must be received by 5 p.m. May 18.
The district has a secured ballot drop-off box outside J-D High School at the district office entrance.