By Cindy Hoffman, Staff Writer

(Aug. 3, 2023) Due to delays by this year’s election contractor, Washington State-based Election Trust, to mail ballots in a timely fashion, the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors decided at an emergency meeting Tuesday night to move back by two weeks all the dates related to the elections and the annual meeting.

The new dates are:

• Due date for ballots to be delivered to Election Trust: Aug. 22.
• Count date: Aug. 24
• Annual meeting Aug. 26

The annual meeting will be held at the club house.

Tom Piatti, the chair of the elections committee, said it takes five days for ballots to reach Election Trust through the mail.

A ballot drop box has been installed at the Ocean Pines Police station for residents to deposit ballots there. Those ballots are being sent via overnight mail to Election Trust for counting.