OCEAN PINES – Details on the upcoming election highlighted a recent committee meeting.
Last Friday, Chair Tom Piatti provided members of the Ocean Pines Elections Committee with an update on upcoming election dates. He noted the upcoming candidate forum will be held June 21 at the clubhouse meeting room, where all four board candidates – John Latham, Jerry Murphy, Elaine Brady, and Jeffrey Heavner – will participate in a question-and-answer format.
“The candidates will not be asked the same questions …,” he said. “What we’ll do is we’ll make a list of them, they’ll pick a number out of the hat, and we’ll ask them the corresponding question. That’s the fair way to do it. We’re also going to give the people in the room the opportunity to ask the candidates questions.”
The Ocean Pines Association will hold its candidate forum on June 21 at 6 p.m. Homeowners can submit questions to [email protected].
“We will rotate the questions out of the feedback we have from the community,” Piatti said. “They submit questions to us.”
Piatti also provided committee members with an update on the association’s contract with the new election vendor, Election Trust. He told committee members the Ocean Pines Association was working with the company’s election operations contact as it begins preparations for the 2023 board election.
“He is going to be setting up what they consider an intake Zoom call to get the process rolling …,” Piatti said. “I also asked them to give us a sample of election materials, which is important.”
The Washington-based contractor will be mailing ballots to property owners the week of July 11, with ballots due back to Election Trust by close of business on Aug. 8.
Officials pointed out the contractor would notify voters once their ballot has been received, so long as their membership information is up to date. Piatti asked if anyone had called the association to update their emails.
“Yes, you can also do it on the online portal,” said Membership and Assessment Supervisor Ruth Ann Meyer. “They can go in and change their information on the portal if they have signed up through the portal to pay their association dues.”
Upcoming election dates include: voter eligibility deadline, July 6; ballot deadline, Aug. 8 at 4 p.m.; ballot count, Aug. 10; and annual meeting, Aug. 12.
For questions about the election, email [email protected]. A remote viewing option will also be available for the upcoming candidate forum. For additional information, visit oceanpines.org and click on the “2023 OPA Board Election” banner at the top of the page.
