The Riverhead Central School District 2026-2027 Budget Passed
Yes: 944 No: 841
Board of Education Trustee Election Results:
Cynthia Redmond: 1274 Natasha Cooks: 869 Julio Gonzalez: 891 Erica Murphy: 1273 Jasmine Corwin: 1180
Congratulations to Cynthia Redmond, Julio Gonzalez, Erica Murphy, and Jasmine Corwin
Annual Budget Vote and Board of Education Trustee Election
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Legal Notice:
Budget Information:
Other Information:
Voting Applications:
Voter Information:
Board Candidate Information:
Nominating Petition - Due 4/20/2026
1st Campaign Contributions and Expenditure Forms - Due 4/20/2026
2nd Campaign Contributions and Expenditure Forms - Due 5/14/2026
3rd Campaign Contributions and Expenditure Forms - Due 6/8/2026
NYSSBA "Running for the School Board"
Information for Prospective School Board Members
English / Espanol
The Riverhead Central School District will be holding its Annual Budget Vote and Board of Education Election on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. On that date the voters of the school district will vote on the 2026-2027 School District Budget proposal which has been formulated by the Board of Education and District Administration.
Please note, as of January 14, 2025, the location of the Budget Vote and Election has changed to a single polling location: the Riverhead High School Gymnasium.
There will be three (3) open seats on the Board of Education this year with terms that will run from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029. Additionally, there will be one open seat on the Board of Education which will run from May 19, 2026 through June 30, 2027
Information for those wishing to be candidates for the open seats is found below and on the left. All candidate forms are available to the left under "Board Candidate Information".
A Public Information Meeting/Budget Hearing on this vote will be held on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. in the Riverhead Middle School Cafetorium.
Qualifications for Candidacy on the Board of Education:
Those who wish to run for the Board of Education must:
Be a citizen of the United States of America
Be at least eighteen (18) years of age
Be able to read and write
Be a resident of the Riverhead Central School District continuously for one (1) year
Not be an employee of the school district
Not be a family member of the Board of Education residing in the same household
Nominating Petitions:
Candidates must submit a petition to the School District Clerk signed by at least thirty seven (37) qualified district voters (2% of the total number who voted in the 2025 Annual Budget Vote and Election). The petitions must include the following:
Candidate’s Name and Residence
Signature and residences of those signing the petition
Length of the term of office for which the candidate is being nominated
Riverhead CSD conducts its Board of Education election on an at-large basis, meaning that the three (3) top vote getters will win the open three-year seats on the Board of Education.
The candidate receiving the 4th highest number of votes will be appointed to the final one-year seat.
The District Clerk will make blank Candidate Petitions available beginning on March 4, 2026 at the District Office.
Completed Nominating Petitions must be returned to the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 20, 2026 at the District Office.
Candidates will be required to file financial disclosure forms regarding their campaign, which will be provided by the District Clerk.
Voter Qualifications:
To be eligible to vote in school district elections a person must:
Be at least 18 years of age
Be resident of the school district for at least 30 days prior to May 19, 2026
Be a citizen of the United States
District Polling Places:
Polls are open from 6:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, 2026
New Location: Voters must vote in the Riverhead High School Gymnasium located at 700 Harrison Avenue, Riverhead, NY 11901
Please contact the Office of the District Clerk at (631) 369-4724 with any questions.
Voter Registration:
Qualified voters may register any school day at the District Office at 814 Harrison Avenue in Riverhead between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. The deadline to register with the School District Board of Registration is May 14, 2026. This registration will only allow registrants to vote in the School District Election.
Qualified voters may also register with the Suffolk County Board of Elections to vote in all municipal elections relating to their address. These registration forms are available from the the Suffolk County Board of Elections - (631) 852-4500.
Use this link to check if you are registered to vote: Am I Registered / Estoy registrado (use your physical address, not your mailing address)
Absentee Ballots:
Pursuant to Education Law §2018-a (2)(f), absentee ballot applications must be received by the District Clerk no earlier than the thirtieth day before the election for which an absentee ballot is sought. Applications will NOT be accepted before April 20, 2026.
Absentee Ballot Applications may be obtained from the District Office, 814 Harrison Avenue in Riverhead or via the district web site, www.riverhead.net, or by clicking below. Ballots will be issued upon the satisfactory completion and submission of the application form. The deadline for filing an Absentee Ballot Application, if the ballot is to be mailed to the resident or their designated agent, is Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. Upon receiving a timely request for a mailed absentee ballot, the District Clerk will mail the ballot to the address set forth in the application by no later than six (6) days before the vote. The deadline for filing an Absentee Ballot Application, if the ballot is to be personally delivered to the resident, is Monday, May 18, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. Absentee Ballots may be issued to third parties representing the voter provided the third party is identified on the Absentee Ballot Application and is able to provide proper identification when picking-up the ballot from the Office of the District Clerk. All Absentee Ballots must be filed with the District Clerk by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
Absentee Ballot Applications may be dropped off or mailed to:
District Clerk
Riverhead Central School District
814 Harrison Avenue
Riverhead, NY 11901
Absentee Ballot Application - English
Absentee Ballot Application - Spanish
Early Mail Voting Applications
Application for early mail voting ballots may be made at the Office of the District Clerk. Applications for early mail voting ballots must be received by the District Clerk no earlier than thirty (30) days before the election. Applications will not be accepted before April 20, 2026. Furthermore, such application must be received by the District Clerk at least seven days before the election (May 12, 2026) if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the election (May 18, 2026) if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter or his/her designated agent. Upon receiving a timely request for an early mail voting ballot, the District Clerk will mail the ballot to the address set forth in the application by no later than six (6) days before the vote. All early mail voting ballots must be received by the District Clerk by 5:00 p.m. on the day of the vote, May 20, 2025. If you have any questions, please contact the District Clerk at 631-369-4724.
Early Mail Voting Application - English
Early Mail Voting Application - Spanish
Early Mail Voting Applications may be dropped off or mailed to:
District Clerk
Riverhead Central School District
814 Harrison Avenue
Riverhead, NY 11901
Military Ballots:
Military Ballot Applications may be obtained from the Office of the District Clerk and submitted to the District Clerk, by mail, no later than Thursday, April 23, 2025. Military Ballots will be mailed out no later than Friday, April 25, 2026 (25 days prior to election) and must be filed with the District Clerk by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
