New York City paused school board elections just hours after voting opened on Friday, following reports of invalid and out-of-date ballots.
Parents began reporting issues with their online ballots in the early morning, including candidates who had dropped out of the race or appeared on ballots for councils they were not running for.
The Education Department emailed parents around 10 a.m. to say voting was on hold, according to screenshots obtained by the Daily News.
“Our vendor is currently addressing any technical issues that have arisen,” said Onika Richards, a public schools spokeswoman. “In the interest of ensuring a fair and accurate process, we have temporarily paused voting. We are working diligently to resolve any issues by this afternoon, and we expect to resume voting promptly thereafter.”
Voting had yet to resume as of 4 p.m. on Friday.
Parents have until May 13 to cast their ballots, though the city’s school system could extend that deadline if the gaffes persist. Parent elections are held every two years.
There are 32 Community Education Councils across the five boroughs, as well as four citywide councils: On high schools, English Language Learners, special education, and District 75 for students with more serious disabilities. The councils are mostly advisory, but help inform key policy debates.
This year’s parent elections are particularly high-stakes after controversies on the school boards prompted former Schools Chancellor David Banks to remove two members. One of them sued in federal court to regain her seat.
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