2nd Rockville Centre library candidate is a write-in

Residents of the Rockville Centre school district will go to the polls on May 15 to vote on school and library trustee candidates and on two proposed spending plans for 2012-13 that each come in under the state-mandated tax-levy cap.

The Herald has learned that Andrea Maher is hoping to fill the seat being vacated by library Board of Trustees Vice President Vito Iacobellis, who is stepping down when his term ends. Four-term library board Secretary Eileen Burke Bucaria, who is seeking another term, will be on the ballot, but because Maher did not submit a completed nominating petition before the April 16 deadline, she is running as a write-in candidate.

Originally from Lawrence, Maher has been a Rockville Centre resident since 1998. She has been active in the PTA since moving here, first at Watson Elementary School, where she was a co-president, and then on the Rockville Centre PTA Council, where she was also co-president. Maher is currently a vice president of South Side Middle School’s PTA and a member of the district-wide curriculum committee.

Married with three sons, two in college and one at South Side Middle School, Maher has spent more than 30 years in the book publishing industry and is now a literary agent. The 56-year-old received an undergraduate degree in English from the College of the Holy Cross and a master’s in mass communication from Boston University. She has taught book publishing to aspiring professionals at Pace University and is an advocate for literacy, libraries and the role they play in the community.

How to vote for a write-in candidate

The school district is using the lever-style voting machines in the upcoming election. To vote for a write-in candidate, voters must slide the small panel toward the top of the machine to the side. This will reveal a small piece of paper where voters can write the name of the candidate they want to vote for. It is critical that voters spell the name of their intended candidate correctly. John Smith is technically a different person than Jon Smith.

And remember: If you have questions about how to cast your ballot, don’t be afraid to ask the poll workers. They are there to help.

The library budget