June 20, 2023 Special Election Information

A Special Vote will be held on June 20, 2023 for the purposes of electing one (1) Board of Education Member. This election is a result of the unfortunate and untimely passing of our Board Member Kevin Storrs. The Special Vote will be held on June 20, 2023 from noon - 9:00 p.m. The location of the vote will be at the Mill Road Intermediate School Cafeteria. 

Once candidates have filed petitions, their names will appear below, in they order they will appear on the ballot: 

Charles Kachigian

Fernando Dongo

Voting Information

To be a qualified voter, you must be a US Citizen, at least 18 years old by June 20, 2023, and a permanent School District resident for 30 days immediately preceding the vote. You will be able to vote if you have voted in any School District Vote, County Vote, or National Election during the past four calendar years.  If you are not registered, you can register with the County Board of Elections anytime by completing and submitting the NYS Voter Registration form at: NYS Voter Registration Form.

You can contact the Dutchess County Board of Elections at: 845-486-2473

You can contact the Columbia County Board of Elections at: 518-828-3115

Registration forms are also available at the Red Hook Central School District Voter Registration Day Wednesday, June 14, 2023, from 12 noon - 5 p.m. Location: Mill Road Intermediate 3-5 School Lobby/Entrance. If you cannot attend the Voter Registration, and you are not able to contact the County Board of Elections, you can make an appointment to register to vote with the District Clerk by emailing emaskell@rhcsd.org. Appointments are available during the regular work day for those interested in coming in to the School District to register.

AM I REGISTERED TO VOTE? Click HERE to see if you're registered to vote.

Absentee Ballots

Absentee Ballots are available by completing and submitting an Absentee Ballot Application. Application found here in English, or Application found here in Spanish. Absentee Ballot Applications are also available at the District Office. You can stop by the District Office to pick one up, you can email the District Clerk at emaskell@rhcsd.org to request one, or you can call the District Clerk for more information at 845-758-2241 ext. 55010. 

Absentee Ballots must be received by the District Clerk no later than 5 p.m. on the day of the election and vote (June 20, 2023).

Please mail Absentee Ballot Applications to:

Red Hook Central School District

ATTN: District Clerk

9 Mill Road

Red Hook, NY 12571

Ballot Applications will be accepted via email with the agreement that the application will also be sent via First Class Mail so the District has the original signature on file. Applications can be emailed to the District Clerk at: emaskell@rhcsd.org

Military Voter Registration and Ballots

Military voters may apply to register as a qualified voter and/or submit an application for a Military Ballot. Military voters can register to vote by completing and submitting a NYS Voter Registration Form to the County Board of Elections in which they live (Dutchess or Columbia).  Absentee Ballots can be requested for Military voters by completing and submitting a Military Absentee Ballot Application. These must be submitted to the Office of the District Clerk by mail no later than 5 p.m. on May 26, 2023.

Questions?

Questions about the Election? Contact Elena Maskell at 845-758-2241 ext. 55010, or email emaskell@rhcsd.org.

The candidates who filed petitions for the special election also ran in the general election. For that election they were asked to respond to three identical questions and their answers are provided for you to read. Responses are provided in alphabetical order by last name.  

Fernando Dongo

Why are you interested in serving on the Board of Education?

My main interest in my run for Board of Education is to help provide a voice for our children, parents, and our entire community alike.  I'd like to support our district on all matters with an open mind and support our board members through the decision making process. I believe there is room for improvement with communications between our community and our board, and would like to help provide transparency on all community related subjects.  As I believe there is always room for improvement on all things, I would like to play an important role in the continuous improvement of our children's quality of education.  Through my own career path, I can also help broaden the perspective on opportunities related to the trades.
 

What is your connection to the school district?

I have been a resident of Red Hook since 2010, specifically to bring my children to this school district.  I currently have three daughters in our district, with one in Mill Road and two in the high school.  Not only do we live here, but we do business within the town and village municipalities, so we can a good connection with the community members.

What do you consider to be the most important issue(s) in the school district?

Communication.  Our community deserves a clear means of communication to all members residing in our district and a clear path on how all matters are resolved if and when these issues arise.  It is all too often a fraction of our community participates in the decision making process in school matters.  I believe a better means of communication should be sought for valuable engagement with our board and community members.

Charles Kachigian

Why are you interested in serving on the Board of Education? 

As a parent, I want to represent Red Hook Central School District families on the Board of Education. I believe strongly in the opportunity for quality education for all students, retention of great teachers and intentional community dialogue.

What is your connection to the school district?

I am the parent of a current RHCSD student and two future students.

What do you consider to be the most important issue(s) in the school district?

Safety and Quality: Safety - I support basic safe facilities and security but also judgement free spaces for students to ask questions, speak freely and feel respected in the classroom. Quality - I am for teacher retention and keeping what's working going. I chose to live in this school district and will send all of my children here because RHCSD teachers and staff have a reputation for getting public education right.