SBNC Joint Committee Proposes Changes to the Non-Partisan Resolution

The Joint Committee of the Scarsdale School Board Nominating Committee is proposing amendments to its non-partisan resolution to improve the election process. Each year, the Joint Committee convenes to consider whether to make changes to its Resolution after the SBNC election. This year’s amendments are substantial.

All Scarsdale residents are invited to a public meeting to discuss these changes on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 8:00 pm in the Boynton Room of The Scarsdale Congregational Church (1 Heathcote Rd). SBNC candidates are also encouraged to attend this meeting to learn more about how the SBNC works.

After receiving public comment on the changes to the Resolution, the Joint Committee will finalize the language for its proposed amendments by December 15, 2011. The election to vote on the amendments, and to vote in this year’s SBNC members, will be on Tuesday, January 17, 2012 in the Scarsdale Middle School auditorium lobby from 7:00am-10:00am and from 2:00pm to 9:00pm.

Copies of the proposed amendments are available on the SBNC website at: http://scarsdalesbnc.com/press/ . Hard copies are also available at the Reference Desk of the Scarsdale Library and in the brochure racks in the lobby of Village Hall. Here is a summary:

• Candidate petitions shall now contain a statement certified by the prospective candidate that neither they nor anyone working on behalf of their campaign will assist in the completion or handle a mail-in ballot other than their own.
• Morning voting hours shall be extended for an additional 30 minutes, concluding at 10:00 AM rather than 9:30 AM.
• Procedures for utilizing mail-in ballots are being clarified to prevent potential confusion in tabulating election results and abuse of the mail-in ballot process, as follows:
• A voter using a mail-in ballot will be required to sign their name on the seal of the envelope and print their name and address on the outside of envelope.
• The mail-in ballot will contain a statement saying that by signing the seal of the mail-in ballot envelope (see above), the voter is certifying that they are eligible to vote and have not and will not vote in the election except by this mail-in ballot.
• Mail-in ballots submitted other than in accordance with the new procedures will be invalid and shall not be counted.
• No person other than a member of a voter’s own household may be permitted to have contact with a voter’s mail-in ballot prior to mailing.
• The Administrative Committee shall compare the names of voters submitting mail-in ballots to those voting in person to ensure that such persons do not vote more than once.
• Envelopes containing properly completed mail-in ballots shall be discarded prior to tabulation of election results to improve voter privacy.
• Procedures for filling vacancies occurring on the SBNC before the petition deadline for the next SNBC election are being clarified. Vacancies shall be filled for the balance of any unexpired term by the person(s) who receives the next highest number of votes in an SBNC election after those who were elected to fill the first two positions. If there is no such person(s), the position(s) shall remain vacant until the next election.
• The Chair of the Administrative Committee shall be elected by a majority of the then-serving members of the Joint Committee if neither the Chair of the Administrative Committee or the outgoing Vice Chair of the Administrative Committee are available.
• One of the criteria for a qualified voter is being clarified to insert the words “United States” in front of the word “citizen”.

Pictured Above: Jyoti Ruta -Chair of the SBNC, Michael Pollack and Nan Berke, Co-chairs of the Administrative Committee of the SBNC.