(May 18, 2017) The Ocean Pines Association Election Committee might have had a difficult time getting election reforms passed by the board of directors this session, but it got almost everything it recommended.
During a meeting on Friday, committee Chairman Steve Tuttle said about 98 percent of the committee recommendations were approved. The board did not agree with the committee members that election results should be announced immediately after ballots are counted.
The process, however, dragged on for several months and the revised version of Resolution M-06 governing elections was only passed after Board Vice President Dave Stevens introduced a last-minute compromise during a meeting in April.
Tuttle said the approved text was sent to association secretary Michelle Bennett and was waiting for signatures from Board President Tom Herrick and Director Slobodan Trendic, the board liaison to the committee.
“The hard part is they wouldn’t go along with our announcing the vote as soon as we’ve completed the count. Everything [else] that we did they’ve incorporated in there 100 percent,” Tuttle said.
That includes counting the ballots during an open session, capping candidate statements in Ocean Pines election materials to 200 words each, and the option for multiple candidate forums. Several minor language changes recommended by an Ocean Pines attorney were also included in the reforms.
“I really want to commend all of you for what you’ve done. It’s been a pleasure to be your liaison,” Trendic said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen next August [after the election] … but I’m glad you stuck to your guns and you did what you did, and I’m sorry that you had to compromise on one area that I think was very important to all of you.”
Trendic said additional election reforms could be pursued under a new administration, including the possibility of outsourcing the vote-counting operation and moving to electronic or online voting.
“And announcing the results the day of the count,” he said. “You might have a more open minded board come August – a more forward-looking board that’s going to look at the election process and say this is a no-brainer.”
The committee was re-staffed this year and members have more than two years remaining in their respective first terms.
“We’ve had many conversations and I’ve felt very supported by [Trendic],” Tuttle said. “We’ll see how it goes when we do the [ballot] count with people in the room … that may actually lead to even more impetus to go to announcing the count at the end of the vote next year.”