By Greg Ellison

(March 17, 2022) Along with reviewing mailing materials for the Ocean Pines Association’s upcoming referendum, the Ocean Pines Elections Committee discussed procedural duties for the next board of directors’ contest at its meeting last Friday.

Committee Chair Carol Ludwig said design details of the referendum mailer is nearly complete. The piece includes more than two dozen proposed bylaws amendments.

“We’re trying to get people to fill the whole thing out,” she said.

Ludwig said for the referendum changes to pass, a majoirty of at least 40 percent of eligible voters would need to approve.

“The scanner does count the number of ballots,” she said. “Invalid ballots do count towards the return percentage.”

Committee member Mary Ann Whitcomb questioned the length of referendum materials and their 28 specific bylaw changes.

“If they look at how long it is, they might just throw it out,” she said.

Ludwig said referendum materials need to be finalized by March 14 ahead of a March 25 mailing deadline.

After referendum packages are sent, Elections Committee members are tasked with answering questions.

“They leave messages on our voicemail,” she said. “We each take a week of calling voicemail to check.”

Ludwig said members would begin monitoring phone lines on March 27 with a new person assigned each week.

“The first week is probably the easiest,” she said. “The last week is usually the worst.”

Although not anticipating further language revisions, Ludwig said the list of questions would be finalized after a related town hall scheduled the next day.

“The format we send out has to end with a yes or no,” she said. “That’s why they call them questions.”

Ludwig noted less than 50 percent of the community’s residents receive association mailings at their Ocean Pines property.

“This is where the problem comes from,” she said.

Ludwig said questions stemming from voting eligibility are directed to Membership and Assessment Supervisor Ruth Ann Meyer.

Photo by Greg Ellison
Spirited discussions and diligent note taking took place during the Ocean Pines Elections Committee meeting last Friday.

Whitcomb asked how to handle questions about specifics.

“What happens if people have questions about the content of questions?” she said.

Ludwig said those should be directed to the board by emailing directors@oceanpines.org.

“We’re not the experts,” she said. “We’re not answering any questions on the content.”

Looking ahead, Ludwig said committee members would need to draft three questions for the next board candidate form by May 10.

“We suggest what those questions are,” she said.

Questions are often redundant from year to year, with the exception of hot-button issues, Ludwig said.

Committee members will revisit the topic during its next meeting on April 1.

“Bring your ideas to the meeting,” she said.

Ludwig also updated the status of adopting electronic voting for board elections and referendums.

At this point, uncertainties remain over requiring membership approval to institute electronic voting.

Ludwig said several vendors have claimed language in the Maryland Homeowners’ Association Act would negate the need to revise bylaws.

“The Board of Directors is concerned about what the wording is in the Maryland HOA Act … which says not withstanding language in our bylaws we can do electronic voting,” she said.

Despite those reassurances, Ludwig said association bylaws contain specific references to mailing physical ballots.

“It would have to be a referendum through the mail to OK electronic voting,” she said.