Winner announcement to come immediately after votes are tabulated in Aug.

By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(March 1, 2018) For the first time, vote totals in Ocean Pines elections will be released immediately after they are counted.

A second reading for changes to Resolution M-06, governing elections, was approved by a board of directors vote on Sunday.

Similar changes were rejected by a prior board a year ago because several directors were more comfortable with the longstanding practice of announcing election results during the annual membership meeting, a day after ballots are counted. At the time, several directors said the announcement helped drive attendance to the annual meeting.

This time, approval of resubmitted reforms was postponed from a meeting in January to seek recommendations from the bylaws and resolutions committee. According to Director Slobodan Trendic, the bylaws committee reviewed and endorsed the earlier announcement of voting results.

The Ocean Pines Election Committee drafted the amendment, which was vetted by an association attorney.

While the election committee language stated results would be “announced to all present, emailed to the board of directors and posted on the Ocean Pines Association website,” Director Ted Moroney offered a friendly amendment to announce results live on Ocean Pines television and streaming platforms, post to the website, and email board members and candidates.

“The idea here is to have maximum transparency, and the best way to do that is use the resources we have and put it out there,” Moroney said.

Directors Cheryl Jacobs and Tom Herrick did not support the amendment. Herrick said the previous membership of the elections committee resigned because they did not support the change in procedures.

Both the amendment and the original motion as amended passed 5-2.