NEWBURGH – Three unsuccessful candidates in last month’s Newburgh Enlarged City School District Board of Education election have filed an appeal with the New York State Commissioner of Education challenging the conduct and results of the vote.
According to the petitioners, Deborah Bouley of Newburgh and Victoria Bousche and Jerry Ryan Lamar, both of New Windsor, the appeal was filed under Section 310 of New York State Education Law. The trio is representing itself in the matter.
John Doerre, the school board president, confirmed the filing and responded: “While the district will respond to the appeal through the appropriate legal channels, we believe it is important to note that the election was conducted according to established procedures and under the supervision of election officials charged with administering the process. The district takes its responsibility to conduct fair, transparent, and lawful elections seriously.”
The candidates are seeking a review of an election that they claim was decided by approximately 21 votes, a margin they allege was determined entirely by absentee ballots.
In the petition, the candidates raise concerns about absentee ballot handling, the canvassing process on election night, campaign materials distributed during the election and what they describe as the involvement of political organizations and public officials in a race that is required by law to be nonpartisan.
The petitioners said they have submitted video evidence, affidavits, statistical analyses and other documents in support of their claims.
The candidates are also requesting an emergency stay from the commissioner to preserve election records, including ballots, voter registers, absentee ballot applications and chain-of-custody documents. They are further asking that any declared winners not be sworn into office until the matter is resolved.
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