Chatham Central School District's annual budget vote and Board of Education election is Tuesday, May 19, 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. in the Mary E. Dardess Elementary School gymnasium.

The District has four seats up for election on May 19, 2026:

• The expiring term of Matthew Fisch (current incumbent) July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2026

• The expiring term of Marianne Pierro (current incumbent) July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2026

• The expiring term of Dawn Friedman (current incumbent) July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2026

• The unexpired term of Steve Michalek (Ashley Zwingelberg incumbent) July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2028

The three highest-vote getters will be elected to three-year terms commencing on July 1, 2026 and expiring on June 30, 2029.

The fourth-highest vote getter will be elected to a two-year term commencing on May 20, 2026 and expiring on June 30, 2028, to fill the remainder of an unexpired term left vacant by the resignation of Steve Michalek.

Petitions nominating candidates for the office of Member of the Board of Education are available starting Friday, March 20, 2026 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on business days in the Office of the District Clerk at the Mary E. Dardess Elementary School.  Petitions must be filed not later than 5:00 p.m. Monday, April 20, 2026, in the Office of the District Clerk.

Board candidates wishing to appear on the ballot must be nominated by petition. Candidates must be a current resident of the District for at least one year, be a qualified voter of the District (citizen of the U.S., at least 18 years of age or older), and be able to read and write.

To be eligible to vote you must be:

• A citizen of the United States 18 years of age or older

• A resident of the Chatham Central School District for a period of 30 days or more directly preceding the date of the vote

• Registered to vote with either the School District or the Columbia County Board of Elections

Applications for absentee or early mail voter ballots may be applied for at the Office of the School District Clerk.  Applications for absentee ballots can be requested no earlier than April 24, 2026 and must be received by the District Clerk no later than 4:00 p.m. on May 12, 2026, if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter; or no later than 4:00 p.m. on May 18, 2026 if receiving the ballot in person. All absentee or early mail in voter ballots must be received by the District Clerk not later than 5:00 p.m. on May 19, 2026. Contact the District Clerk at 518-392-1501 or pottenburghd@chatham.k12.ny.us.ny

Information about our 2026-27 school budget proposal is available on our Budget Information page.