Portland City Clerk Explains Rules for Absentee Voting on School Budget Referendum

Absentee ballots will be available on April 28 for the referendum on the Portland Public Schools budget that will take place on May 13. Portland City Clerk Linda Cohen stressed that absentee voters must take special care to ensure that their votes are recorded.

Any voter requesting a ballot between April 28 and May 5 will receive two versions. One version will apply if the Portland City Council approves a school budget on May 5 that exceeds the state's allocation for Essential Programs and Services (EPS). The other ballot will apply if the City Council's approved budget falls below the state's EPS.

A phone number will be provided with absentee ballots issued prior to the City Council’s vote on the school budget. Voters may call that number on May 6 and thereafter to determine which ballot to return.

Any ballot received by the clerk's office before May 6 will be rejected. Those requesting an absentee ballot after May 5 will receive the appropriate one.

For questions about absentee voting, please call the clerk's office at 874-8677.