Multiple voters report absentee ballot errors ahead of Syosset budget and board election

Debra Concannon Ceglia says she received two absentee ballots in her name from the Syosset School District for its budget and board elections.

News 12 Staff

Jun 5, 2020, 6:40 PM

Updated 1,660 days ago

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An absentee ballot mix-up has left some Syosset budget and board voters feeling confused.
Debra Concannon Ceglia says she received two absentee ballots in her name from the Syosset School District for its budget and board elections.
"When I looked closer I said, 'Oh they are both in my name.' So I received two," says Ceglia. "It must have been a glitch, it must have been a mistake."
Ceglia says even though she got two, her husband never got a ballot. She's not the only one facing school ballot issues.
Staci Rogove says even though they live in Jericho, her address is in the Syosset School District.
"We got a Jericho School District, one in my husband's name and we also got one in my name," says Rogove.
Rogove says on top of the Jericho mix-up, she says she never received ballots from Syosset, where her three kids attend school.
"It's definitely a little crazy and kind of makes you wonder how accurate this election can really be in this way," says Rogove.
All registered voters on Long Island are receiving absentee ballots to vote in their school districts June 9 budget and board elections.
The Syosset School District says mailed ballots were based on the registered voter list maintained by the Nassau Board of Elections, saying, "The district will reject any duplicate ballots or ballots from addresses outside our boundaries."
Jericho's schools superintendent addressed concerns, saying, "Only ballots that are returned from verified Jericho School District residents will be counted in the budget vote."
Both districts added that residents can call the school district clerk with issues.
Court Cousins, with the North Syosset Civic Association, believes the issues are human error, but that, "It is incumbent upon the county Board of Elections and the local school districts to be particularly careful about their processes, their procedures. But also providing us some kind of after-the-fact evaluation to explain how did some of those things happen."
The Nassau Board of Elections says it does not administer or oversee school district elections or send out their ballots. By law, school district elections are run by the districts themselves.