(Aug. 4, 2016) Because of the record number of candidates in this year’s Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors election, the elections committee is seeing an increase in requests for duplicate ballots.
“People are making mistakes and calling and saying, ‘can I have another ballot?’” committee member Judy Butler said during last Wednesday’s committee meeting. “That’s never happened before. There’s multiple reasons why people want another ballot, but this time they’re actually saying, ‘I made a mistake, I need a new ballot.’”
Butler said she is asking those voters to bring in the old ballot in, so it can be destroyed and a duplicate can be issued.
“The fact is, there’s 11 candidates and it’s easy to goof up,” she said. “That’s the one unusual thing I’m seeing this year.”
On July 12, the committee began monitoring an elections hotline. Committee member Steve Smith said 10 calls came into the hotline during the first week, and 11 during the second week.
“That doesn’t mean we’re going to give 21 duplicates back,” Smith said. The hotline, 410-208-3989, will remain open through Aug. 11.
Butler speculated there would be roughly 7,500 eligible voters in Ocean Pines this year, out of the 8,452 homes. Those who do not pay assessments on time are not eligible to vote.
Chairman Bill Wentworth said there were 7,403 eligible voters last year and the elections committee processed 3,421 ballots. Thirty-seven ballots were counted manually and 31 were rejected. Of those, two were rejected because they were in “improper envelopes,” two included multiple ballots in the envelope, five ballots were blank and 22 voted for more that the permitted number of candidates.
Wentworth said 14 replacement ballots were received last year, and about 30 were issued.
Butler noted that the highest voter turnout was during the 2012 yacht club referendum, when more than 5,000 ballots were received.
“The average is about half – half the people eligible take the time to put a ballot in,” Butler said. “We’ll see what happens this year.”
This year, ballots can be received in Ocean Pines until 5 p.m. on Aug. 11. The committee will count the ballots on Aug. 12, and announce the results at the annual meeting at 10 a.m. on Aug. 13, in the Ocean Pines community center at 235 Ocean Parkway.
Homeowners attending the meeting are required to sign in, and if a quorum of at least 100 members are not present, Wentworth said the board of directors could go into a special meeting “right there on the spot” in order to accept the election results.
“People are making mistakes and calling and saying, ‘can I have another ballot?’” committee member Judy Butler said during last Wednesday’s committee meeting. “That’s never happened before. There’s multiple reasons why people want another ballot, but this time they’re actually saying, ‘I made a mistake, I need a new ballot.’”
Butler said she is asking those voters to bring in the old ballot in, so it can be destroyed and a duplicate can be issued.
“The fact is, there’s 11 candidates and it’s easy to goof up,” she said. “That’s the one unusual thing I’m seeing this year.”
On July 12, the committee began monitoring an elections hotline. Committee member Steve Smith said 10 calls came into the hotline during the first week, and 11 during the second week.
“That doesn’t mean we’re going to give 21 duplicates back,” Smith said. The hotline, 410-208-3989, will remain open through Aug. 11.
Butler speculated there would be roughly 7,500 eligible voters in Ocean Pines this year, out of the 8,452 homes. Those who do not pay assessments on time are not eligible to vote.
Chairman Bill Wentworth said there were 7,403 eligible voters last year and the elections committee processed 3,421 ballots. Thirty-seven ballots were counted manually and 31 were rejected. Of those, two were rejected because they were in “improper envelopes,” two included multiple ballots in the envelope, five ballots were blank and 22 voted for more that the permitted number of candidates.
Wentworth said 14 replacement ballots were received last year, and about 30 were issued.
Butler noted that the highest voter turnout was during the 2012 yacht club referendum, when more than 5,000 ballots were received.
“The average is about half – half the people eligible take the time to put a ballot in,” Butler said. “We’ll see what happens this year.”
This year, ballots can be received in Ocean Pines until 5 p.m. on Aug. 11. The committee will count the ballots on Aug. 12, and announce the results at the annual meeting at 10 a.m. on Aug. 13, in the Ocean Pines community center at 235 Ocean Parkway.
Homeowners attending the meeting are required to sign in, and if a quorum of at least 100 members are not present, Wentworth said the board of directors could go into a special meeting “right there on the spot” in order to accept the election results.