JOSH DAVIS/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
Members of the Ocean Pines Elections Committee last Friday discuss key upcoming election dates and regulations.

By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(June 14, 2018) Dates for two Ocean Pines Association Board candidate forums were changed last week, because of the unavailability of one candidate in one instance and the lack of a venue in another.

Previously set for Wednesday, June 20, the first forum was moved to 7-9 p.m. on Wednesday, June 27 because a candidate could not attend, according to Elections Committee Chairman Steve Habeger.

The second forum, previously slated for Saturday, July 14, was moved to 10 a.m. until noon on Saturday, July 21, because no suitable venues were available.

Both events are now scheduled for the second floor of the Ocean Pines Yacht Club on 1 Mumford Landing Road. Questions for both forums can be sent to elections@oceanpines.org.

Habeger said at an elections committee meeting last Friday that some had already been submitted, “But I would expect we’ll start to get an avalanche of those” he said.

Also during that meeting, Director Slobodan Trendic said one candidate who filed to run, Brett Hill, was declared ineligible and is challenging that ruling in Worcester County Circuit Court. Trendic said that could affect the date ballots were to be mailed, on July 10.

“Obviously, that has an impact on the possible timeline [of how] the election process is going to play out,” he said. “Should that challenge be reviewed and – successful or not – it will impact, certainly, the mailing of the election materials.”

Ballots are due on Aug. 8 and scheduled to be counted Aug. 10.

The voting results will be announced at the Aug. 11 annual meeting of membership.