JOSH DAVIS/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
Members of the Ocean Pines Elections Committee last Friday discuss the draft of an annual report that showed voter participation in the last election was down slightly, while voter error was sharply lower. Pictured, from left, are Chairman Steve Habeger, Rick Turner, Brenda Wascak and Virginia Sutula.

By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(Sept. 13, 2018) Total ballots counted were down slightly and voter error dropped significantly during the 2018 Ocean Pines election, according to preliminary numbers released by the association elections committee last week.

According a draft of the 2018 committee report, 7,614 ballots were mailed and 3,119 total ballots were counted, a 41 percent return.

Eighty ballots were not counted, including 66 received after the deadline. Additionally, eight were rejected because the ballots were marked improperly, four voted for more than the allowed number of candidates, one attempted to write in a candidate, and one used an improper envelope.

Last year, 129 ballots were disqualified, the 2017 committee reported.

That’s an improvement overall and especially in one particular category, according to Elections Committee Chairman Steve Habeger.

“I was pleased to see that the number of people who voted for more than the allowed number is 10 percent of what it was last year. Last year it was 41 and this year it was four,” he said.

“The overwhelming majority of the people who responded did so well and efficiently,” Habeger added.

Virginia Sutula noted the number of rejected ballots was within the margin of the fourth and fifth-place candidates, one of which was elected and one was not. Then candidate and now Director Esther Diller won 1,549 votes, 23 more than Paula Gray.

“It’s very sad. You could’ve made the difference,” she said.

“We deal with the ballots that are valid, period,” Habeger said, adding of the 66 homeowners who did not turn in their ballots on time, “[They] went through the effort to vote and their vote is still in the envelope, which is unfortunate.”

He said the total number of ballots counted a year ago was 3,491, or 372 more than this year.

The committee met eight times during the election cycle and also held a candidate draw and candidate workshop, as well as one forum.

During the elections committee meeting last Friday, Habeger booked a venue and the committee set dates for two candidate forums for the 2019 election. Forums were scheduled June 12 from 7-9 p.m. and June 22 from 10 a.m. to noon, both in the Assateague Room of the community center on 235 Ocean Parkway.

The candidate draw, to determine ballot order, will be held on June 7 next year.