Ocean Pines Elections Committee Chair Steve Ransdell updated the community on the upcoming Board of Directors election timeline, maintaining that it is proceeding as promised with minimal hiccups.
An election sign is pictured outside of the Ocean Pines Community Center.
File photo
By Tara Fischer, Staff Writer
Ocean Pines Elections Committee Chair Steve Ransdell updated the community on the 2024 Board of Directors election timeline, maintaining that it is proceeding as promised with minimal hiccups.
Two seats are up for grabs this year. Incumbents Rick Farr, the board’s current president, and Director Jeff Heavner are defending their positions. Challengers Amy Peck, Sherrie Clifford, and Jerry Murphy have also thrown their hats into the ring.
Ransdell addressed the membership at the board of directors meeting on July 20. According to the committee chair, the electronic and paper ballots were distributed, and 113 were returned to the association as undeliverable. Of those, 27 included new forwarding addresses, and voting materials were promptly sent.
The committee also recently updated its eligibility list, adding 296 lots, bringing the total number of potential voters to 7,777. As of Tuesday, July 16, 667 electronic ballots had been cast, and 1,780 paper tickets had been submitted. Non-digital selection materials can be dropped into the box at the Ocean Pines Police Station until 4 p.m. on Aug. 6.
Ransdell said that since the election process began, the committee has only received three complaints, all of which were addressed within 24 hours. The chair did not disclose the nature of the grievances.
“In recent memory, I do not remember an election running as smoothly as the one you are presiding over,” board vice president Stuart Lakernick said, addressing Ransdell. “It is impressive that with only a few weeks left, there have only been three complaints.”
OPA has contracted the Pittsburgh-based MK Election Services to handle the polling proceedings and vote counting. When balloting officially closes at 4 p.m. on Aug. 6, Ransdell, accompanied by a few witnesses will take the paper tickets from the box and immediately overnight ship them to the vendor.
“We want [MK Election Services] to have as much time as possible to complete the last piece of the count,” the committee chair said. “Then we will receive a report with the results, and if any contested ballots need to be resolved, we will address that, then have a final report to share with the board and membership.”
All ballots will be delivered together. The paper tickets already dropped in the police station box are still there, waiting to be shipped with the rest of the voting materials that will be submitted by Aug. 6.
Ransdell discussed how MK Election Services and OPA intend to handle potential discrepancies. If a homeowner accidentally or deliberately submits their ballot electronically and by paper, the vote received first will be counted, and the second will be discarded.
“We always have that error traffic,” the elections committee chair said.
Eligible homeowners have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6, to vote. While OPA encourages households to cast their ballots electronically, residents who prefer may submit their paper selection to a drop box at the neighborhood police station. The results will be announced on Thursday, Aug. 8.